A New World
by SladinForever
Summary: He remembered everything: the good times before and the bad times after. Only now, there was nothing good, nothing worth living for. But he was forced to promise to hold on, to keep fighting, to keep living. Yes, Robin remembered everything and he couldn't change the past. But he could at least change the future. A future he still had a spark for saving
1. A New World Prologue

_**It's simple**_

The entire world had gone to war…

_**There is good, and there is evil**_

It didn't matter if you were good or bad. If you crossed the wrong person, you had to fight or die. Soldiers from every side fought ruthlessly, some even taking a prize of some unfortunate soul…

_**There are those who commit crimes…**_

"Well look what we have here."

Two men had cornered a very notable hero with no defenses. One handed his weapon to his companion and then reached for the front of his belt. The hero's masked eyes widened, his teeth lightly clenched together. The soldier moved towards him after dropping his belt to the ground and while unzipping his army cargo pants. He smirked cruelly, licking his lips seductively.

"Where's your fighting spirit now, you stupid little, punk-ass, hero bitch?"

The demented man reached down for him…

…_**And those who stop them**_

Before he could grab the hero's arm and yank him forward to lay on the ground, there was a sound of a scuffle behind him. He didn't have time to check what was going on before he was knocked to the ground. His companion had landed on him, forcing him sideways. They scrambled to get off each other when a dark shadow descended menacingly upon them. They stopped to look up and then strongly swallowed nervously.

"He's mine," a dark voice hissed.

That's all the incentive the two men needed in order to get to their feet and flee like dogs with their tails between their legs. Once they were far away, the shadow moved and faced the hero still cowering against the wall. His eyes widened as a man he knew all too well approached him, his hand removing his own belt and dropping it. As he pulled down the zipper to his black Kevlar pants, his shadow covered the hero and his large body hid him from view…

_**The two sides are opposite, as different as night and day**_

There was a battle taking place. Rifles were fired, grenades were being thrown, and bangs and explosions filled the air. There were at least thirty-to-forty people taking on two individuals: one tall, the other short. The two were making quick work of these men, injuring them to near death, like their lives depended on it. In the distance, more fighters with weapons were approaching to help out. It didn't take long for the two to knock down all but three of the men. As a last resort, one of the men pulled out a small detonation device that was the shape of a hockey puck. He chucked it towards the tallest of the two right before his right foot landed…

_**But the line between them can be almost impossible to find**_

The last three men were knocked down. Several feet away was the tallest man, lying flat on his back and snarling in terrible pain. The smaller, younger one rushed to him and inspected the landmines' damage. His stomach churned by what he saw…

_**It's supposed to be simple**_

"Don't let them get away!"

With all his strength, the young man forced the older one to his left leg. Blood dripped from a stump that was once his right. The explosion had taken it clean off. Taking out a few bombs from his utility belt, the boy threw them at the oncoming men. They exploded on impact with the ground, snow and mud skyrocketing into the air. Smoke and fire blocked the two companions from the other soldiers, allowing them to slip away.

After hours of fleeing with difficulty, the boy stopped from exhaustion and he and the man fell to the ground. Snow started to fall from the dark heavens. After setting the man aside, the boy with lifeless and hard blue eyes slowly looked up, his face void of emotion…

_**But it's not**_

Some dialogue from Teen Titans Season 3, episode 2, X (bolded/italicized words)


	2. A New World Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Teen Titans or the characters within it. I do have a few OCs that will appear later though

This story was inspired by Wynja's drabble by the same title. Think of it as a continuation after Bruce asks Slade to take Robin in despite the fact he had raped him. You might have noticed the reference from the drabble in chapter 1, aka the prologue. I didn't post the disclaimer or anything in chapter 1 because I wanted to keep it with JUST the story part. The bold and italicized sentences were taken from the episode X from Season 3, when Robin is speaking that monologue. I took some of the parts from the beginning and end of the episode. I tried to make them fit with the story telling as well and I like the result. Hope you did too :)

Anyway, enjoy the story! Reviews are forever loved!

**SladinForever**

* * *

It was snowing lightly. The forest trees were covered in snow from several days' time. The sky was filled with heavy grey clouds, not a sliver of the sun seeping through. The wind was bitingly cold and strong. Everything just seemed destroyed…

Snow crunched underneath tattered shoes. Blood dripped onto the snow from a dead rabbit as it was carried by a young man with black hair. In the distance sat a cave with a dim wavering light coming from it. Walking in a minute later, the young man moved to the back where a weak fire was blazing. Behind it, an older, white-haired man rested against a traveler's pack. His right leg was now a stump that ended just below the knee. Hearing the boy, he looked up and saw him enter.

"Was there anyone near-by?"

Stopping by the fire, the teen dropped the rabbit with a thud and a splat. "No, we're safe for the time being."

He sat down to start skinning the rabbit. The man watched him work. "Do you think you were followed at all?"

"I made sure no one saw me."

"Are you sure about that?"

The boy looked up to glare in annoyance at him from his badgering questioning. "Of course I'm sure, Slade. I'm not a fucking idiot."

Slade's eyes narrowed at him. "Just because I'm injured, Robin, doesn't mean I can't punish you for back talking me."

Robin threw the rabbit fur and skin into a corner of the cave. "Pushing your buttons is worth it," he said snidely. Slade snorted. "How long until your leg grows back anyway?"

Slade looked down at his covered stump, reached for the legging that covered it, and pulled it back. Right below his partly ruined knee cap, part of the leg bone was sticking out and the muscle and tendons around it seemed to be moving like a bowl full of wiggling worms. Whatever it was doing, it seemed to expand and form into new flesh, blood, and bone.

"I'd say seven or eight more days." He threw the legging back over it. Robin had the rabbit sitting on the fire, cooking. "With how horrible the injury is, it will take a long time. We're just going to have to wait it out until I can walk properly again. But don't think I will forget your ungrateful mouth later."

Scooting back to the cave wall, Robin leaned against it, staring at the fire. "Whatever."

The cave went silent except for the crackling of the fire. Grabbing his weapons bag, Slade opened it and began pulling out the various weapons they had on their person. He kept a mental list of what all they had left. They had lost a few bombs since the night his leg had been blown off by a landmine. He had scolded himself for being so sloppy. He should have known the soldier that threw the mine was gonna do just that. Thankfully, due to the darkness and Robin's quick thinking, they had gotten out of their dire situation quickly. Slade experienced pain every now and again in his leg, but otherwise, they were safe and sound.

After Slade had sorted everything into piles, he figured out what they didn't have. Eyes narrowing almost to slits, he sighed. "We're almost out of ammo."

Robin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "The next haven is only five days of walking time away."

"Once my leg is better, we better make it four."

Robin softly snorted. "You expect us to walk around aimlessly in the pitch dark all night?"

Slade started putting the artillery away. "My perfect sense of direction won't let us walk around aimlessly. But yes, I expect both of us to walk during the night, and without complaints. I don't give a damn how much your feet and legs hurt."

Robin rolled his eyes before looking back at the fire. After twenty minutes of silence, the rabbit looked about ready to eat. Taking out his machete, Robin got up, put it in the flames, and then stabbed the rabbit. He pulled it out, set it on the ground, and then began chopping it up into strips. Slade had all of their equipment put away and was resting with his eyes closed. Once dinner was ready, Robin took four pieces for himself and then stood up with Slade's three pieces. He walked over to him.

"Do you want your portion?"

Opening his eyes, Slade looked at his hand, which had the rabbit meat offered to him. He placed his right hand on top of Robin's and took the hot pieces from him. "Thank you. Put the rest away."

Without a word, Robin turned around and went back to his spot. He sat back down to eat, the meat almost too tough to bite into. It took a hard tug to get a part off. Slade was being smarter, using an army knife to make swallowable pieces. He didn't actually need to eat, but it would at least help speed up the healing process by half an hour. If they didn't need to save so much food as they traveled, he would've had more.

After Robin was done eating, he grabbed a towel from his backpack and wrapped the rest of the rabbit in it. He put it aside on the ground with the rest of their pitiful rations. Yawning, he slid forward and laid on his side, his back to Slade and the warm fire. It toasted his back to keep him just warm enough from the freezing cold outside. Slade moved himself forward a little more until the back of his head rested against his pack. Turning it to the left, he closed his eyes to rest. Then the only noise was that of the crackling fire.

* * *

After four and a half days, Slade's foreleg was a little over halfway healed. The skin would grow back last, but it was already starting. It didn't hurt as it grew back, but it was annoying to feel like the leg was still there. Robin was just milling around outside the cave, trying to keep his mind off the boredom. He had also gone to search for food the last few days with no luck. The rabbit had been the only thing left around their location. The two were completely and utterly alone.

"For the next two days, we shouldn't eat," Slade said on their fifth night in the cave. "We're low on food enough as it is." Robin's stomach growled after a few seconds, but he ignored it. They were silent for a long time again. Looking up, Slade stared at Robin for a few seconds. He was leaning against the cave wall, his legs drawn up to his chest. His eyes were partly closed as he stared off into space. Slade blinked. "Come here." Glancing over his shoulder, Robin saw him staring. He looked away again without a word. Slade's eyes narrowed in a glare. "Don't ignore me."

"Or what?" Robin asked in a low voice. "Going to kick me around?" Slade's hands curled into tight fists. "Oh, wait, I forgot, you can't. So fuck off." Quickly pulling out a pistol, Slade was ready to shoot him in the back, but he stopped. Snorting at his ridiculousness, he shoved the gun back in his belt and attempted to get up. Looking over his shoulder, Robin saw him struggling. Slade's eyes were clenched tightly shut and he looked like he was in immense pain. Sighing loudly, Robin quickly got up and began walking towards him. "Sit back down, I'm coming." Slade landed with a thud on his tailbone. A lump formed in his throat from it, but he quickly swallowed and coughed it away. Robin stood to his right, staring down at him. "What do you want?"

Once he recovered, Slade reached up and grabbed Robin's wrist. He forced him to crouch down next to him. Robin blinked at him, his face blank. Slade stared into his hard, dark blue eyes for a second or two before reaching for the back of his head.

"I'm going to feed you."

Robin's eyes widened slightly as Slade forced his face down to his crotch. With his back hurting in such a position, he pulled his legs out from under himself and laid by Slade's leg. He tried not to look at the place where the stump was. With his other hand, Slade removed his belt, unzipped his pants, and then pulled his penis out. Gripping the back of Robin's head tight so that he wouldn't pull away, he forced his face to the organ and lifted the head towards his mouth. Robin stared at it with heavily lowered eyelids for a moment before inhaling sharply and opening his mouth wide. He slipped his lips around the tip, sucked for a few seconds, and then slid more of it in his mouth.

"Good boy. Now don't swallow all of it. I could use the protein too."

Ignoring the thought of feeding Slade with mouth-to-mouth, Robin closed his eyes and began to stimulate his slowly forming erection. Slade's grip on his head lessened and then he moved his hand to the nape of his neck. He gently ran two fingers along his hairline, moving his hair a bit. Soon, Robin had almost the full length in his mouth, sucking and licking. Closing his eyes, Slade relished in appreciation as he got excited from Robin's moist, warm mouth. He groaned lightly in satisfaction as he was nearing his ejaculation. Robin could feel it too.

Before Slade came, he gripped the back of his neck and pulled his head back slightly so he wouldn't choke. Robin tensed when warm, sticky liquid entered his mouth, some dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. Slade helped lift his head and mouth from his penis. Robin managed to only swallow about half, making him shudder at the texture.

"Don't forget me, little bird."

Slowly sitting up, Robin got to his knees, moved further up Slade's side, and tilted his head a bit to the right as he led his mouth to Slade's own. He parted his lips to allow him to kiss the rest of his semen into his mouth. He took it in with the help of his tongue, like a cat to warm milk. Robin had his hand resting on the side of his neck as he pressed their lips tight together. When he felt and heard Slade swallow, he drew back and then stared into his eyes, panting softly. Seeing some cum on the corner of his mouth, Slade licked it away.

"Good boy," he said soft and quiet. There was a loud smack sound when Robin slapped him really hard in the face. Slade seemed taken aback by this, but didn't say anything. Forcefully getting to his feet, Robin turned on his heel and stalked out of the cave. Slade stared at the cave mouth with half narrowed eyes. He closed them and then sighed. "So this is the thanks I get for being nice…"

Outside, Robin was kicking snow around to get his anger out. He couldn't believe he let himself do that to Slade. It was the same humiliation and shame he felt when Slade had raped him after saving him from another potential rapist. Robin cursed Bruce over and over again for making Slade take him in after he was killed during battle. It didn't matter if Slade could keep him safe the best out of anyone, it was still a fucked up situation.

"Stupid Bruce… Stupid Slade… Stupid, godforsaken, piece of shit war!" On Robin's next kick, he managed to catch a rock with the toe of his shoe. It hurtled through the air and then hit a tree. Snow jolted out of the dying branches' hold and went _whump _to the ground. Out of his peripheral vision, Robin saw something dart out of sight. His head jerked up in surprise. "Huh?" Robin scanned the area ahead of him. When he saw nothing, he called out, "Hello? Someone there?" Nothing moved or stirred. Robin stared at the place he thought he saw something for a while. When nothing happened, he turned his foot towards the cave and slowly turned. "Maybe I'm just tired."

Sighing again, Robin walked back towards the cave. When he entered, Slade was holding his hands to the fire. It was almost out. They ignored each other as Robin went to his bag and opened a compartment.

"Everything alright out there?" Slade asked when he noticed Robin pulling out a gun.

"I think so."

Slade wasn't convinced. "Did you see something?"

"…I don't know."

Slade's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the sound of that… "Stay alert."

"Yeah yeah, I got it." Almost as soon as he said this, Robin quickly turned, aiming the gun and readying to shoot. His trigger finger froze when he saw a small boy of about ten standing in front of the cave mouth. They stared at each other motionlessly for a moment before Robin slowly lowered the gun. "Were you the thing I thought I saw?" The boy didn't answer. Robin noted his torn, thin clothing. There was snow and mud on them too. "I hope I didn't scare you. Are you hungry?"

Slade glared at him as he approached the boy. "Robin, in case you didn't know, lost children are like cats. The second you start being nice to them and feeding them, they never _leave_."

Stopping in front of the boy, Robin knelt to be at his level. "Can you not talk?" The boy still didn't move or say anything. "You must have come from far away. You're filthy and you look cold." Standing back up, Robin held his hand out to him. "Come on, we won't hurt you." Slade rolled his eyes. "I have dry, warm clothes you can wear."

"Robin, don't even think about it."

Ignoring him, Robin carefully grabbed the boy's hand. When he didn't pull away, he started leading him inside the cave. The boy followed without complaint. Stopping by the fire, Robin let go of his hand and pulled his pack in front of him. He crouched behind it and opened a pouch. He then pulled out a black, sleeveless shirt and grey pants. Turning back to the boy, he set the clothes down and then grabbed the hem of his thin, tattered shirt. He started lifting it up.

"We'll get you warm and dry and then you can…" Robin trailed off, dropping the shirt to the ground. Both he and Slade stared at the boy with astonished eyes. There were bruises, whip marks, and cuts and gashes all over his chest, stomach, and back. The bruises on his stomach seemed to be the worst. Robin stared at a knife wound on his collar bone, his mouth partly open. The boy didn't seem to care about the injuries, despite how painful they all looked. Slowly closing his mouth, Robin looked down at the black t-shirt and picked it up. "You look like you could use some sleep, huh?"

Looking away from the boy's back, Slade stared at Robin with slightly narrowed eyes as he pulled the shirt on over the boy's head. He carefully pulled his arms through the holes and then grabbed the pants. Once he removed the old pair and then put on the new pair, Robin stood up, gently turned the boy around, and moved him to sit close to Slade in front of the fire. He rekindled it with some bark and threw in another lit match. Going back to his pack, he pulled out what little was left of the rabbit and gave it to him.

"I want you to eat that and then go to sleep," Robin said softly. The boy didn't answer. Instead, he slowly took the rabbit meat from Robin's hand and started to eat it, nibbling on the end. Robin stared at him for a few more seconds before walking around him. "I'll be outside to search for food again."

Without another word, Robin left the cave, half of his face shrouded in darkness.


	3. A New World Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2

So you're probably wondering what this boy, who was obviously tortured for _something_, is doing in the story. Well he plays a big role dealing with Robin and the New World War. But I won't get into that ;) You're just gonna have to stick around to find out. And why is Robin acting so strangely since seeing the boy's injuries? You'll find out in this chapter!

**PS:** This story is pretty depressing, so if you don't like that kind of thing or don't want to get sad for the characters, then I wouldn't read. There's nothing cool, fun, or good about war. It's depressing and thus this story will be told as such

**SladinForever**

* * *

Ever since Robin had changed the boy's clothes, he had been quieter than usual. He kept spacing off. Slade would stare at him for a while, to see if he snapped at him, but Robin didn't. He either sat against the cave wall or took a walk out in the cold. The hurt boy was still as silent as ever and stayed by the fire. Slade felt something off about him, but he kept it to himself. The boy was probably just shy and didn't want to talk to strangers. Who could blame him. He clearly had been tortured for information. But what could a ten year old tell? It just made absolutely no sense.

It was now the next afternoon. Robin had returned from a hunting expedition, but came back empty-handed again. His stomach churned from lack of food. He had tried finding berries or some kind of edible fruit, but it was pointless. The snow had destroyed almost everything from a two thousand mile radius. He sat down in his usual spot with his legs outstretched and his arms folded over his chest. Slade stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"We should start moving on tomorrow morning. By the time we get to the refuge camp, my leg should be back to normal. We'll get food supplies there."

"We're not going that way anymore."

Slade's brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

Robin looked up and glared at him. "This kid had to have come from there since he was standing in the direction we were heading," he said sternly. "I'm not taking him back there. If you don't like it, then you can go and he and I will go a different route. Whoever did this to him will take him back and I won't let that happen."

Slade snorted. "You're forgetting what we can do if that were to happen. If someone tried snatching him, we could always kill them."

Robin suddenly jumped to his feet. "I'm not killing anymore goddamn people."

"Then I'll do it."

"No."

Slade glared in anger at him. "Robin, when are you going to learn that this is what we have to do to survive this godforsaken war? There is no other way around it."

Robin growled. "I don't give a _damn_ about the fucking WAR!" Getting sick of his excessive whining, Slade forced himself on one leg and then tried to get to him. Robin looked livid. "Sit back down! You're going to fuck up your leg again if you don't!"

Robin was suddenly forced against the wall. Slade had a tight grip on his shoulders as he held him there. "You're going to have to start caring about this war if you want it to end! Sacrifices have to be made! If you can't handle that, then you may as well kill yourself right now! But I won't let you because I promised Bruce-!"

Snarling, Robin forced his hands against Slade's shoulders and shoved him back. With his grip still on him, they both fell to the hard ground. They rolled around as they attacked each other. Finally getting on top of him and using his right fist, Robin punched him in the cheek and nose several times in quick succession. When Slade's face came back up, he quickly punched him in the jaw, knocking his head sideways. Robin was panting from the fast punching. He soon got to his feet. Slade just lay on the ground, blood spilling from his nose and mouth. Robin glared down at him, his bloody fists curled at his sides.

"Don't you _ever _bring him up again. He's dead to me, in every fucking sense of the word."

Forcing his body around, Robin stormed out of the cave and back into the cold. After laying there for another minute, Slade slowly sat up, placing an arm under his nose. He wiped blood off his nostrils and upper lip with the back of his arm. Looking at the boy, he saw him staring silently at him. His face was completely void of emotion. Slade spit blood onto the ground.

"He'll be fine in a few days." Slade slowly got back to his foot and almost hopped back to his traveler's pack. He fell back down with a grunt. "He has every right to be upset."

The boy blinked at him before looking back at the dying fire. Slade stared at it too, getting lost in thought. Meanwhile, Robin was pacing and muttering nonsense to himself. A soft falling of snow fell around him. His anger was slowly disappearing and emotional exhaustion filled him. Suddenly falling onto the cold, wet, snow-covered ground, he buried his face in his knees, wrapped his arms tightly around them, and started sobbing and crying. Biting cold wind hit him from behind, freezing his back, but he didn't care. He needed something to help numb the pain. Robin suddenly cried out in anguish, tears streaming heavily down his face.

"Bruce, I'm so sorry!"

The wind quickly picked up and sounded like it was howling. More, heavier snow fell from the sky. It seemed that a blizzard was coming, which meant it would probably be a bad idea to stay in the cave. If snow covered the entrance, Robin and the boy would probably die. Then Slade would be all alone with two dead bodies rotting away.

Finally relaxing, Robin slowly lifted his head and sighed. He stood up, turned around, and returned to the cave. Slade was wrapping a fresh, clean blanket around his leg stump, tying the ends together tightly. His nose had been mended on its own already. Robin stared at him in silence for a few seconds.

"I think there's a blizzard coming," he said softly. "We should probably go." Nodding, Slade packed everything away and then tried to get up. Robin grabbed his stuff, slung his pack over his back, put some weapons back in his belt, and then destroyed the fire. Almost instantly the cave grew freezing cold. Taking his heavy blanket off the top of his backpack, Robin unfolded it a few times and then wrapped it around the boy. He looked at Robin as he tied the front against his chest. "We have to go to the next checkpoint. We can't stay here, just in case a blizzard closes the cave mouth with us still inside. I have to help Slade, so you're going to have to walk close by us. Okay?"

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he reached forward with his small hand and placed it to Robin's chest. He blinked down at him in confusion. The boy felt his heart beat for a few seconds. It was faint but strong. Slade stared at them for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

"We have to go now." Robin didn't take his eyes off the boy. After a few more seconds, the boy dropped his hand and started to stand. Robin stood up straight and ran his hand through his hair a few times before turning to Slade. Standing on his right, he helped him to his foot and then placed his arm across the back of his neck. They then started to leave the cave, Slade hopping on his solitary foot. They walked out into the freezing cold snow and headed east to the next camp. "…How far away is the refuge from the one you want to avoid?"

The boy was walking ahead of them since they were walking so slowly. Robin noticed he was going in the right direction. "We can just follow him."

"I'm not taking directions from a little boy," Slade said.

Robin quickly ducked out from under his arm and stepped back. Slade almost lost his balance. They both glared at each other.

"I'm getting a little sick and tired of you being an asshole, Slade."

"Well I'm sick and tired of your excessive whining."

"I wouldn't _be_ whining if you didn't make shit so fucking difficult!"

"I wouldn't have to make things so difficult if you would just change your attitude."

"Change _my_ attitude?! You should look in a fucking mirror and see whose attitude needs changing!"

Slade snorted. "I can't really do that since I don't have one. But we can sure pick one up in the next refuge when we stop to rest."

"We are not going to that stupid refuge!"

"Then it looks like I win," Slade said, as a matter of fact.

Robin was about to retort something back, but he stopped in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Slade smirked. "I was referring to the refuge _you_ wanted to go to. But since you said no, that means we're going to the one I said we would go to."

"I-! What-! You…! I didn't-!" Stopping his spluttering, Robin growled in anger at him. "You asshole!"

"You said it, not me."

"You _cheated_!"

"We're going to the closest refuge," Slade said, ignoring that last one. "And if the time arises where the boy is in danger, _we_ will stop the ones responsible, even if it means killing them. Now stop acting like a whiny child and get your neck under my arm so that we can keep going." Robin glared at him for a little while longer before turning and walking away. Slade turned half of his foot and then used his heel to turn around. "Robin, get back here!"

Ignoring him, Robin started to walk past the boy, who had stopped to watch their screaming match. Before he could get very far, his arm was caught, stopping him. Jerking his head around, Robin saw the boy looking at him with a blank stare. His small hand was wrapped around his slim wrist.

"_It's okay, Robin."_ Robin's eyes widened when he heard the child's voice in his head. Except, it sounded more mature than a ten year old's voice. _"__Please don't be afraid. I am simply channeling my thoughts to you. And no, Slade can't hear me because I will only talk to you."_

"Robin, stop staring at him like that and help me!"

"_We must hurry. The faster we get to our destination the better. Please." _Robin stared at the boy, completely dumbstruck. He felt a strange sensation cover his hand and then slowly travel over his body. The boy released his wrist and smiled a few seconds later. _"__There, now our bond is complete. I can now speak to you without skin-on-skin contact. I can help Slade with his leg trouble if you want me to. Otherwise, you will have to carry him on your shoulders the rest of the way. I don't want you to get tired though."_

Robin stared at him for a few seconds longer before slowly looking up at Slade. The man gave him a quizzical look when he stared at him strangely. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Robin placed his hand on the boy's head as he walked past him and then headed towards Slade. The boy followed him.

"What's wrong with you now?" Slade asked when they stopped in front of him.

Robin glanced at the kid for a moment. "This boy can speak to me through thoughts."

"_Tell him I will heal his leg."_

"He wants to heal your leg."

It was Slade's turn to give Robin a strange look. "You're kidding, right?"

Robin glared at him. "Does it look like I'm laughing?" Slade didn't reply. "Do you want him to help you or not?!"

Slade put his hands up in defense. "Okay, relax. I will humor you, for now." Slade stuck his stump out to the boy. "This better be real or I'm hitting you both for wasting precious daylight."

Robin stepped back, folding his arms over his chest. The boy stood to the side of the stump and then held his hands out. Both Slade and Robin's eyes widened when they began to glow blue. Slade soon felt the strangest sensation. What moved around like worms before seemed to be doing it again, just faster and more uncomfortable. It actually hurt, like the muscles and bones were twisting around. As something began to grow longer, the knot of the blanket began to loosen and then came apart. It fell away and they could see exactly what was happening. First, the bones grew, the hard, outer layer swirling around the marrow. Then the tendons and muscles appeared. They soon made a full leg. Next came the flesh and then the skin. When the sensation vanished and everything seemed back to normal, the boy's hands stopped glowing. He then lowered his arms before looking at Robin.

"_He is completely fixed now."_

"He says you're all fixed," Robin repeated. Slade started testing his leg out, to make sure it worked properly. When he didn't feel or see any problems, he lowered his foot to the ground and then took a step. Nothing wobbled and he didn't feel like falling, so he took a few more steps. Robin watched him walk around for a bit before looking at the boy. "What do we call you?"

The boy smiled. _"I go by many names, but you can call me Ishmael."_

Robin held his hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Ishmael." Ishmael shook his hand. "If only it had been during better circumstances." They lowered their hands. "Why were you tortured for anyway?"

Slade returned to them, looking back to his old, strong self again. His leg felt perfectly fine, like it hadn't been blown off at all. "We have to keep going. It's getting darker and colder. We'll freeze to death if we don't keep walking."

Robin looked at him, nodding. "This is Ishmael, by the way."

"I don't care," Slade said, heading in the direction they needed to go. Snorting, Robin followed behind him. Ishmael walked alongside him. "When we get to the refuge, we'll buy supplies and then leave, so we can avoid trouble."

"Finally a plan we can agree on." They walked on in silence for a while. Robin then looked at Ishmael. "We won't be able to stop at night for sleep. Can you handle that?"

Ishmael looked up at him. _"I do not need sleep."_

Robin looked ahead. "Good, because we'd freeze to death if we didn't keep moving."

"_I know."_

Slade glanced back at the two behind him. What were they conversing about anyway? And why hadn't Ishmael offered to give him the ability he gave Robin? Or, the better question was: who is Ishmael?


	4. A New World Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2. Also, Ishmael belongs to me

"So, I have to ask. If you're ten years old, how can you talk like a grown man?"

It had been two days since Slade, Robin, and Ishmael left the cave. They just barely missed the blizzard, one of the very few good things that had happened to them. No one had talked much since becoming a traveling trio, but Robin was curious about Ishmael.

"_Looks can be deceiving," _Ishmael replied wisely. _"__I simply __**choose **__to be in this form."_

Robin blinked a few times. "Are you a shapeshifter then?"

"_Yes, you could say that. I can only turn into other people though. I cannot turn into, let's say, a bird or fish, like your friend Beast Boy could do."_

Robin choked on his next breath. He started coughing violently. Being in the lead, Slade looked back with a furrowed brow.

"What are you coughing for?"

Robin forced out one last, hard cough before sniffing and clearing his throat. "Nothing." He looked back at Ishmael. "How do you know about Beast Boy? Or Changeling, as he preferred to be called once this war got so bad."

Slade glared at them, wishing he knew what they were yammering on about.

"_When I made the connection, I was able to see your memories," _Ishmael said, as a matter of fact. _"__I do apologize for bringing up a sensitive subject. But yes, I know all about your friends and your life. I am sorry for all of the hard times you've been through, and are continuing to go through."_

Robin gave him a weak smile. "Thanks. At least someone did." Looking ahead, Robin stared at the snow-covered ground. "I hated the world for so long because nobody really cared. Sadly, I'm starting to hate it again."

"_Yes, I know. But, I believe the war will be over soon. You can't just lose faith yet."_

Robin looked off to the side. "Forgive me if I don't agree…"

"You know, I greatly _dislike_ being left in the dark like this." Robin and Ishmael looked up and then had to stop. Slade had stopped after having enough with the secrecy and was glaring at them in annoyance, but mostly at Ishmael. "Why speak with telepathy, boy? Can't you talk?"

Ishmael stared blankly at him for a moment before looking up at Robin. _"__I do not speak because I do not trust myself since I am unstable on this planet."_

Robin's left eye twitched when they narrowed. "Unstable? What do you mean?"

"AGH!" Slade had thrown his hands and arms into the air and was turning away. They slapped his legs when they came back down. He continued walking. "Fine, just ignore me, you little bastard…"

Robin and Ishmael continued walking, continuing to talk despite Slade wanting to tear their heads off.

"_You have deduced by now that I am not a normal human being," _Ishmael finally answered. _"__I am, in fact, not an Earthling. I have certain powers, but many of them can cause harm or death. I can only perform my magic, if you will, through speech. So I have no choice but to speak telepathically. And I can only speak to those worthy of hearing me."_

Robin was pretty intrigued by this fact. The mystery of Ishmael was slowly unfolding. Robin looked up at Slade.

"Ishmael said if he speaks, he could cause harm or death to others. His abilities only work if he talks, so he has to speak telepathically." Slade heard, but pretended to ignore him anyway. "And he can only talk to those worthy of hearing him. So he can't talk to you because you're not worthy." Slade's temple twitched in angered annoyance. "Gee, I wonder why."

"Shut up."

Robin chuckled before looking back at Ishmael. "So, let me guess. You were beaten and hurt because you wouldn't talk to the ones that did the deed. Right?"

Ishmael gave a nod. _"__You are correct, world's greatest young detective," _he said in an amused tone. He became serious again. _"__Anyway, a rich man with many followers found out about me. I was healing a sick child in the street when one of the followers saw me. So, the rich man, who people call sir, sire, and King at this location, had me arrested. They wanted to use my powers to win the war and for themselves. Their evil deeds and wishes is what prevented me from connecting with them. Any and all dark hearts are not worthy of my time, or my powers. I will only use them for good, not evil or to rule the world. That is not why I am here."_

Robin was glad for that. He didn't want some evil, greedy person to rule the world and to control how the war went. They could oppress people with Ishmael's power if they could use it.

"So why are you here, Ishmael?"

"_I am here because I must help end the war. But I need someone special to accompany me."_

"Have you found them yet?"

Ishmael was silent for half a minute. _"__No," _he finally said. _"__But they are close. I can feel it."_

Robin had a feeling he wasn't telling the whole truth, but he didn't push the matter. When Ishmael was ready to reveal his true purpose on Earth, then he would find out.

"Where are you from?"

"_From a far off planet. I am the only one left from my home. My father, who was the supreme ruler, sent me just before the planet was destroyed."_

Robin's mouth fell open in shock. "I'm so sorry."

Ishmael smiled up at him. _"__You have nothing to apologize for. I was actually sent off a few years before your war even started. My brethren believed certain events happened for a reason. Perhaps I was sent to Earth back then because I was meant to be here. It wasn't until the deadly fights broke out that I felt this to be true."_

Robin's eyes narrowed in sadness from this information. He swallowed before speaking again. "Do you think…my parents died because of fate?"

Far up ahead, Slade stopped abruptly, having heard Robin despite how quiet he spoke. His eyes narrowed in anguish. Pain ruptured through his face, starting from his ruined eye, as he remembered his distant past. Closing his eyes, he continued walking.

"_We have a saying on my planet,"_ Ishmael continued. _"__Fate has a way of bringing two or more people together, for a reason it will not give. These things happen so that new people can come into our lives and change how life will be. You lost your parents but gained a new one. And even though he did not express his love and adoration for you like you wanted him to, doesn't mean your father didn't love you. He __**made **__you who you are today. It is those people, the family and friends you made, that made you who you are. And, despite the horrible things Slade has done, he helped you as well. The bonds you had with your friends got stronger because of that time. I don't expect you to agree or even appreciate it, but it's true. Because of my planet being destroyed, being sent to Earth, and living in this war, you and I have come together and connected. Your friends may have perished, but that bond you made with them is still there. Still keeping you strong. So do not give up yet. Fate may be cruel, but it's the results of that cruelty that has shaped us. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Together, we can help stop this war. And that, I believe, is why I am here, why I am with __**you**__, on our way to destiny!"_

Tears dripped off Robin's chin. He placed his hand to his heart and gripped the spot. He didn't want to believe it, but Ishmael was right. If it wasn't for the death of his parents, he never would have met his new family and friends years later. He would just be doing the same old routine in the circus if none of that ever happened. Robin just wished these events—losing Bruce, the Titans, and everyone he loved—hadn't happened. Or at least not to such an extreme. Why did it have to be destructive, heinous war that tore them apart?

After drying off his face, Robin shook his head to rid of the sad, painful thoughts. After a deep breath, he continued asking Ishmael questions. For several more hours this went on, both boys not paying any attention to Slade, who was far ahead of them. They were only two days away from the refugee.

"Should we risk going to the refugee that you came from?" Robin asked that night, when they decided to rest for an hour.

"_As Slade said, if we get in and out quickly, we should be safe."_

Robin relayed this to Slade.

"If we pay attention and can keep him hidden well enough, no one will find out we brought him back."

Robin sighed, but nodded anyway. "I hope it'll be that simple."

"Knowing our bad luck, I doubt it."


	5. A New World Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2 and 4

Another day passed before Slade, Robin, and Ishmael came upon the haven. They were about fifty feet from the entrance. Robin was still very nervous about this plan. He didn't want Ishmael to go through horrendous pain again. Snorting at his hesitance, Slade stepped past him and continued walking.

"The faster we get in and find the market, the faster we can get out. So lets go."

Robin glared after him. Ishmael stayed with him for a few seconds before following Slade. Sighing heavily, Robin hiked his traveler's pack higher on his shoulders and followed them. In a couple of minutes they reached the refugee. They were on a main street with a few broken down buildings on each side. Some people were just standing or sitting around while a group walked and talked like this was normal. Robin stayed close behind Ishmael, trying to hide him from view from bystanders. He tried to act as natural as possible, like he was allowed to be there, but he was nervous. He kept glancing around to make sure no one was following too close or looking suspiciously at them. Having taken the lead, Slade glanced back at Robin over his shoulder. The teen scratched his neck while looking to the left.

"If you keep acting like you're trying to not get caught, you're going to get caught," Slade hissed at him. Robin looked at him and glared. "Don't give me that look; you know I'm right."

Robin whipped his head to the right, scowling and pouting slightly. As he kept walking between them, Ishmael reached back and touched the side of Robin's hand. The teen looked down at him and saw him smile. Robin took a deep breath and then sighed. He gave a few small nods of his head before looking straight ahead. Lowering his hand, Ishmael looked forward and moved an inch to the left. For the next few minutes they walked uptown, following the signs that led walkers to the marketplace. They soon moved in with the crowds. Checking to make sure no one was looking, Robin grabbed Ishmael's shoulders and pulled him to his left side while moving closer to Slade.

"What do we need?"

"Some rations and more ammunition would be good for now," Slade answered. "Perhaps some hunting knives too."

"Okay, then Ishmael and I will buy some food. Should we meet you at the knives after you get ammo?"

Nodding, Slade reached into his big pants pocket, pulled out some cash, and secretively handed it to Robin. He took it and pocketed it quickly before pulling Ishmael over to the right. They passed Slade, who fell back and pretended to examine herbs. Robin and Ishmael moved further up, eased past two or more groups of people too close together, and made their way for the food stalls.

"_You should hold my hand."_

Thinking that would lower suspicion, Robin reached over and grabbed Ishmael's hand, guiding him through the enclosed street. While they moved towards the fruit and vegetable stands, Slade made his way for the weapons section of the market. For the next several minutes they bought and traded for supplies. Robin and Ishmael bought air-tight packaged meat, a bag of four apples and pears, and traded some bullets and a gun for a few canned goods. Ishmael carried the bags of fruit with his free hand while Robin carried the brown paper bag full of meat and cans. Once they were out of the town, they would put everything in their packs.

Up above, where hardly anyone noticed, men with walkie-talkies and semi-automatic rifles were looking down at the people doing their business on rooftops. They would slowly walk across them, stop for a minute to several, and then continue. These men worked for the leader of the haven. If anyone was trying to steal from the stalls, they were to be shot on sight, so long as no one innocent was in the way. If there was a ruckus, two-to-four men would go down and break it up and find out what was going on. Depending on the severity of the fight, the ones causing harm or near death were to be imprisoned for a day or two.

One of the men closest to the food section was slowly looking back and forth at everyone. Suddenly, to the right, he saw something familiar. Taking a pair of binoculars from his hip, he shoulder his rifle and then looked through the eye pieces. He adjusted them until he could see clearly. Down in the market, Robin felt something cut into the back of his mind. His heart started beating fast. Swallowing hard, he carefully looked around to see if anyone was watching him. Ishmael was telepathically speaking to a little girl in pigtails close-by. Her face was covered in dirt and sweat, but she seemed happy. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw the man with the binoculars lift his walkie-talkie to his face.

"Hey, Ishmael," he said carefully, his back to the two children. "I think we should find Slade and get out of here…"

Ishmael gave the girl a tiny kiss to the cheek, like silly kids sometimes did, making her giggle. He then turned around and returned to Robin's side.

"_I can sense him near the blades." _Robin didn't answer. He stared up with slightly narrowed eyes at the soldier, who headed for another one. Ishmael touched his hand, making him jolt and look down at him. _"__And you are right. We should leave very soon."_

Nodding, Robin grabbed his hand and went back the way they came. It took a good few minutes to find the knife stalls. Slade was examining a very long and sharp blade of a large hunting machete, making sure it was in mint condition. The sheath was in his other hand as he tilted the blade forward and back in the light. Robin and Ishmael stopped a foot from him.

"Not to rush you or anything, but we need to go," Robin said desperately.

After a few more seconds, Slade returned the blade to its sheath, picked up a second one of the same model, and told the vendor he wanted both. He had to pay five dollars and a case of shotgun shells for them. Robin was looking around again, keeping Ishmael hidden. Nervousness was creeping back up in him, almost to the point of anxiety. There was no telling what the soldier with the walkie-talkie had been saying, or to whom. But Robin wasn't going to take any chances. He had found the soldier right after he felt like someone was watching them. It was just a really harsh and nerve-racking feeling.

Turning to face them, Slade tied both machetes to his waist. "Turn around so I can put the ammunition in your backpack."

"Okay." Moving Ishmael to his right, Robin turned around. He felt Slade open the large pouch and shove the boxes and bags inside. Ishmael held Robin's hand tight in reassurance. Robin glanced at Slade out of the corner of his eye. "We better hurry. I think someone spotted us."

"I'm taking a pistol out of your pack, just in case," Slade said quietly.

As the villain reached down into Robin's backpack, there was commotion up ahead. Jerking his head around, Robin vaguely saw people moving aside. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Ishmael turned to his side and loosely hugged his waist. As soon as Slade closed the backpack, the crowds had fully parted, revealing several tall men carrying rifles close together. They were spread out in a rounded diamond shape within the market. Everyone fell silent, some whispering to each other, wondering what was going on. Slade concealed the revolver by placing it in front of his stomach and covering it with his other hand. Robin grabbed Ishmael and pushed him around and behind him before the front of the militia parted. A man about Slade's height stepped forward a few feet, his arms hanging loosely by his sides with his hands curled into fists. He had cropped black hair, stunning yellow eyes, had strong arms, torso, and legs, wore camouflaged army pants, black army boots, a moss green t-shirt tucked behind a leather belt with a simple metal buckle, and carried a few handguns and knives around his waist. His face was hard set and he didn't look very nice. He eyed Robin, like he knew he was hiding something from him. Robin was glaring lightly at him, his hands curled into tight fists. The man soon smirked.

"I am sorry to disturb these lovely people, but I was informed that an escaped prisoner had returned to town. Being this haven's leader, I thought it my duty to come down and apprehend the prisoner, so no one got hurt." The man's voice was very strong, steady, and full of leadership. Robin saw why people called him their King. If the teen was gullible, he would've thought this man owned everyone that came into town. It made him all the more dangerous. Glancing past Robin for a moment, King saw most of one half of Ishmael in his over-sized t-shirt and pants, recognizing his face instantly. The boy's face was completely blank, not worried or nervous in the slightest. "I must thank you for bringing the prisoner back, boy. If you wish to avoid being arrested too, I suggest you let the child go." Slade, Robin, and Ishmael didn't move or say anything. The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Aim."

From that simple command, the soldiers in the front row lifted their rifles and aimed them at the trio. Robin shoved Ishmael back, completely guarding him from their fire. Slade's eyes narrowed. He had hoped the man would make a move so that he could start shooting, but Robin would be killed all too quickly if he tried anything now. They were in boiling hot water. Robin growled weakly at King, his teeth clenched lightly.

"I won't let you hurt him again."

King faked confusion in his face. Or at least Robin thought so. He actually couldn't tell very well. Slade, on the other hand, could. "Hurt him? You misunderstand me. Our prisoners aren't physically punished unless they happened to kill someone. The boy behind you tried to steal vegetables from one of these hard working farmers' stalls. With how scarce money is these days, not paying doesn't help the farmer amass more seeds to plant and grow. So, naturally, the boy was arrested for the charge. Now, if you'll hand him over to me, you and your friend won't get shot. Understand?"

Robin's fists and forearms started to shake in anger. He continued to growl at the man and his followers. Behind him, Ishmael was contemplating what to do. If Robin didn't do as King said, then he would be killed, as well as Slade if he didn't also relinquish him. Within seconds he came to a decision that would benefit two of three people. With an exhale of his nose, Ishmael pulled himself out of Robin's grip. The teen jerked his head around and down as Ishmael began walking around him.

"Ishmael!" Robin hissed in a whisper.

The man looked down slightly as Ishmael stepped a foot from Robin and slightly to his right. He looked at the worried teen.

"_Robin, I will not let my comrades die for me. You and Slade must continue from this place to try and find a way to stop the war. I would rather be harmed than see you killed. So please, let me go, and hope that one day we see each other again. This is my decision and you can't stop me. I will be fine so long as you believe in me. Just as I strongly believe in your spark to save Earth and you."_

"Gurh." Robin couldn't believe it. Ishmael would rather risk his life than to let Robin lose his? How could he surrender rather than fight back so easily? Why did Ishmael believe in him when it all seemed hopeless? When Robin didn't say anything, Ishmael looked back at King and stepped towards him. The man smirked as he took another. He lifted his hand to signal to his soldiers that they could lower their weapons. They did, making Robin perk up. His eyes widened slightly as he thought of something. Stepping forward abruptly, he yelled, "WAIT!"

In shock, Ishmael stopped, almost tripping over the pant leg hem. He quickly looked to the left as Robin hastily stepped towards King. The man's eyes narrowed at him. Robin had a determined look on his face, his lips parted slightly as he breathed heavily. Behind them, Slade had to quickly hide the gun, even though no one paid attention to him. He glared at Robin, wondering what the hell he was thinking. If he got killed…

Robin glared at the man. "I know what you want with Ishmael. But it would be a waste of your time."

King was curious now. "What are you talking about, boy?"

Grabbing the right strap of his traveler's pack, Robin shrugged it off and then started to take it off his back. Holding the straps with one hand, he dropped the backpack beside him. He then lowered his arms to his sides.

"You want to use Ishmael's powers to create the turn of events for the war. That's what he told me after we met. But his powers only work for those worthy of using them."

Robin paused. King blinked, still confused. "And?"

Robin's hands curled into tight fists. "You want to use his powers for your own personal gain. That means you're unworthy of his powers. Thus, you can't use them. So there's really no point in imprisoning him and torturing him again."

At the mention of torture, the crowd of people began talking loudly to one another, wondering if what Robin said was true. King and his soldiers shifted their eyes back and forth to see some of their reactions. Some looked alarmed and disgusted, while others looked uncertain about the news.

Gritting his teeth and growling quietly, King looked back and bellowed, "SILENCE!" Almost instantaneously, the din quieted down and then stopped. When he was satisfied, the man looked back at Robin, glaring at him. "If what you say is true, then how can he communicate with you? You don't _look_ worthy."

Robin glanced back at Ishmael, to see his reaction. His face was blank again. Robin soon looked back at the man. "He only speaks telepathically. Before, he had to be touching me, but then he created a bond between us, so that I could speak to him and he could talk back. I'm only worthy because I was a hero from California and won't use his powers for evil." Robin paused, to see what King would say next. When he remained silent, Robin continued. "Ishmael was willing to give up his life for mine, so I'm going to return the favor."

"What?!" both Slade and Ishmael asked in surprise.

Robin ignored them. "I will take Ishmael's place. I was trained by two very strong and smart people growing up. I can use all sorts of firearms and blades, though I prefer not to. If you wanted to try to end this war and become supreme ruler or whatever, then I can help you accomplish that." The man blinked at the proposal. Robin stood up a little straighter. "I know for a fact you wouldn't just let us walk out of here without receiving something in return. Slade, the man behind me, won't do it, so there's only me. I am willing to lose my freedom to save my friend. I will become your obedient soldier if you just let Slade and Ishmael go. Please," Robin added when nothing happened.

Slade's hands curled into tight fists. How dare Robin make this decision by himself! He stepped forward in anger. "Robin, don't-!"

Robin ignored him as he continued to stare hard at King. He stared calmly back, feeling something stir in his chest. After a few more seconds of silence, he stepped closer to Robin and smirked.

"Fine. If this is what you want, then who am I to object to it? You have spunk, and I like that in a soldier." There was a pause. The man suddenly turned on his heel and stepped towards the flank of soldiers. "We are done here. Everyone, back to your business." Stopping, he looked back at Robin over his shoulder. "Boy, say good-bye to your friends and come with me."

As Robin began to turn to Ishmael, Slade moved closer and grabbed his wrist tight, growling. Robin looked up at him, glaring. "How dare you make such a rash decision without _my_ permission! I promised Bruce I would take care of you! I can't go breaking that now!"

Snorting in annoyance, Robin yanked his arm free and stepped back. "Pfft, promises. Promises are for gullible fools. Besides, knowing you, you wouldn't let this hack keep me forever." Slade's eyes widened, catching the hint. Robin stared determinedly at him. "I'll be fine. You and Ishmael rest for the night and then get out of here. Who knows, I may see you on the battlefield."

Slade acted like he didn't know what to say. With a very realistic fake sigh, he gave a nod. "I understand." Reaching down, Slade grabbed Robin's backpack, slung the strap over his left shoulder, and then turned around. "Let's go, Ishmael."

Slade headed for the start of town. Ishmael looked up at Robin, who looked down at him. He crouched to his eye level and blinked. "I'll be fine. Slade will take care of you. For now." Ishmael's eyes widened when Robin quickly winked at him with his left eye. He then stood up straight, ruffling up his hair. "Good-bye, my friend."

Turning to the left, Robin turned around and walked towards King. The man followed him with his gaze as he passed him. With an amused snort, he followed directly behind Robin, who ignored him and his roving gaze. Ishmael stared after them, hoping Robin's plan would go accordingly.

"_Be safe, Robin."_

Pretending to look upset and defeated, Ishmael slowly turned around and walked after Slade. With the unexpected surprise finally over, the people returned to what they had been doing, putting the event in the back of their minds. The soldiers on the rooftops continued their pacing and duty, relaxing their fast beating hearts and minds. Slade moved through everyone with ease. Ishmael soon caught up with him, still holding the bag of apples and pears. They exited the market and went to find dry shelter while they waited for sun-up.

* * *

After walking for a good ten minutes, the soldier squad, Robin, and King were nearing a large, almost castle-like building with an actual moat and drawbridge. Now Robin understood why people called him King. If he still had a sense of humor, he would have found this funny. They walked over the drawbridge. When the soldiers were inside, a third went to the left, a third to the right, and the final third straight ahead. Robin and King brought up the rear. They headed for the front door of the mansion, where two soldiers stood on either side of the frame. King quickened his pace long enough to be in front of Robin. The guards stood up straight and at attention. King looked between them a few times before stopping with the one to his right.

"At ease." The soldiers relaxed. The one on the right grasped the metal handle and pushed it down to open it. King gave a nod to them as he headed inside. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out heavily, Robin followed him inside. He didn't react to the door clicking shut, but his heartbeat quickened. To get his mind off his predicament, he looked around the massive foyer. The house was three stories. The staircase directly in front of him was made of marble and had silver rails and white posts. King was heading straight for them. "Boy, come with me."

Robin had been looking at the beautifully painted ceiling when he heard King's demanding tone. Not wanting to anger him, he jogged to catch up. They headed up to the second floor, which branched off to the right, left, and forward. There were a few doors here and there, including a few hallways. At the landing, King turned left, walked down the aisle, turned at the corner, and made his way for a hallway at the center of the one side. They entered the hall, walked down to the fifth door, and stopped. Taking out a key from his jean pocket, King inserted it in the lock, turned it, and opened the door. Robin looked inside and saw that the door led into a wide room with Victorian-like couches, nightstands with lamps on them, recliners, and, in one corner, a pool table. King made his way to the opposite side of the room, where there was another door, which was made of oak. Robin followed him inside. Reaching the door, King unlocked it and then opened it. He stepped into what appeared to be a bedroom. Swallowing, Robin walked past him when he waited by the door. He examined the room quickly.

Instead of the bed being in a corner or one side of the room, it was about in the center, and it was probably two king-sized beds put into one. In the right corner was another door, probably leading into a bathroom. There was also a large, open closet to the left and a mini library spread out along all four walls, filled with thousands of books. Still without a word, King moved to the edge of the bed and sat down on blood red sheets. Robin walked over to stand in front of him, but a few feet back. He watched King lift his right leg to bend and place on his left knee and start to untie his boots.

"So, boy, what's your name?"

Robin took a moment to answer. "I'm…Robin. So is your real name King, or is that just what people call you?"

King pulled the boot off and then dropped it. He lowered his leg and pulled his other foot up to take off that boot. "Not my first, but my last." He yanked the tie free, flinging the lace back. With both hands, he yanked the shoelace loose, grabbed the back of the heel, and yanked that boot off. He dropped it to the floor before looking up at Robin. "My first name is Thomas, but that's not very intimidating, is it?"

Robin blinked. "I guess not…"

King stared at him briefly before standing up, turning, and heading for his closet. "You look like you've been traveling a long way. Your hair is a mess. You should freshen up before dinner." Narrowing his eyes, but quirking an eyebrow, Robin walked after him. Reaching the door of the closet, he saw King pulling a large white towel from an oak dresser. He turned around, walked out, and then headed for the other door. "I will let you take a shower."

Unsure if this was a trick or King was actually nice just below the surface, Robin cautiously followed him. King set the towel down on the sink counter and then moved to a large shower with glass door. He opened it and stepped to one side. Robin entered the bathroom, looked around briefly, and then went to the shower. King pointed to the multiple shower heads and knobs.

"The hot valves are on the left while the cold are on the right. The shower heads automatically come on once one knob is turned. You can use one or multiple streams. They're all the same hard spray setting, so hopefully you can handle the hard pelting." Robin just nodded. King was silent for a second. Turning to face Robin, he walked around him and to the door. "Please do not exceed twenty minutes. I try not to use too much water since there's very little left in this godforsaken town."

Before Robin could say anything, King walked out and closed the door behind him. Robin stared at it for a moment before grabbing the towel, putting it on a hook on the outside of the shower, and then undressing. He quickly got in, just in case King had cameras, and inspected the knobs of one shower head. He turned the hot water on full blast with a bit of cold. The spray was indeed hard, but Robin preferred it that way. He enjoyed deep tissue shower massages. A bar of white soap and shampoo was in a metal rack below the spray. Welcoming the hot water, Robin stepped under the spray, let the water hit his chest, and then put his head under. He rubbed his face as water trickled to his cheeks and forehead and pushed them back into his gross, oily hair. He heavily soaked his hair before grabbing shampoo and pouring the cool liquid onto the back of his head.

For fifteen minutes Robin washed up, finally feeling relaxed and clean after so long. For the last five minutes, he kept his whole body under the spray. The water trailed and trickled down his back, neck, and sides. He soon lifted his gaze, letting the spray hit most of his face. It traveled heavily down his throat and chest and to his stomach. His eyes narrowed as he thought back to the last happy memory he had of the Titans before the war fully broke out. So much had happened since that time that it seemed almost unreal.

Lowering his head a few seconds later and sighing, Robin opened his eyes, reached for the knobs, and turned them both off at the same time. The shower died. Turning, he walked to the door, pushed it open, and then reached around for his towel. He pulled it inside, dried his hair and body with it, and then wrapped it around his waist. From now on, he couldn't let his guard down and had to stay alert, in case King tried anything dastardly. Robin could not handle one more vile human being in his life. Because one Slade was bad enough.


	6. A New World Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2 and 4

The moment Robin stepped back into the bedroom was the moment he realized he didn't have any clean clothes. He didn't really want to put on the dirty set of clothes he had worn for weeks. Sighing, he was about to go back into the bathroom when something caught his eye. Cautiously, Robin walked to the bed and saw a folded set of clean clothes. How King had clothes Robin's size was a little strange. But, rather than complain, he sifted through the clothing and found white briefs. He slipped those on underneath the towel and then let it drop to the floor around his feet. He grabbed the dark blue jeans and slipped them on one legging at a time. After zipping them, Robin grabbed the black t-shirt and slipped it on over his wet head.

After putting on a silver studded belt around his waist, Robin picked the towel back up and vigorously dried his hair with it. He then returned to the bathroom and flung the towel over the shower door. With a yawn, Robin re-entered the bedroom and headed for the door. He tested the handle and was relieved to find it unlocked. Carefully opening the door, he peeked out and looked around to see if King was there. He wasn't. Sighing, Robin walked out and looked around.

King had nice collections going on in this room. There were ships in bottles, angel statues, old school baseball cards, cavalry, samurai, and cutlass swords and katanas, and movie posters plastered all over one wall. King must have been really rich to afford such expensive memorabilia. Going to the pool table, he saw the fifteen balls already in the rack. What he saw in the middle made him grimace. Reaching over, Robin pulled out the eight ball, which was shining gold instead of black. Robin shook his head as he put it back. As he turned around, his entire body jolted.

"God, you scared me."

King smirked. "No, you just aren't paying close enough attention." He turned around and headed for the door into the hall. "You would think with how dangerous this world is now, you would be more careful." Robin glared after him. "Well, let's go."

Rolling his eyes, Robin followed him out. They returned to the ground floor and walked behind the staircase. There was a large, double door in the middle, covered in paintings similar to the ones on the ceiling. There were two guards here as well. One opened the door, allowing entry. King gave a nod to them as he walked through. Robin scratched the right side of his neck as they both moved towards a long, cedarwood table. There were two chairs at the closest end. Reaching the table first, King pulled out the chair on the side. Robin stopped a few feet away. King looked at him with a smile.

"Sit." Robin was beginning to think this was a very peculiar man. But he sat down and allowed himself to be pushed in. King then sat in the end chair. "I hope you don't mind stir-fry with extra vegetables. That's the best we can do around here."

"Vegetables are fine," Robin answered.

Nodding, King looked towards the door that led into the kitchens and snapped his fingers. After a few seconds, the doors opened and a few servers came out with plates, clear glasses, and a water pitcher. It took Robin a lot of willpower to not roll his eyes or grimace. A plate filled with stir-fry and a small side of salad was set down in front of Robin first, then to King. Both glasses were placed behind the plates and filled with ice water. The servers stepped back and then waited.

"Tell the cook he can have the rest of the night off," King said. "You may go." With simultaneous bows, the servers returned to the kitchen. Smiling, King picked up his fork and stabbed some lettuce with light ranch. "Dig in! You seem famished!"

Robin watched King pull in his bite of salad incredulously and with both eyebrows raised. This day was just getting stranger and stranger…

For the next forty-five minutes the two acquaintances ate and drank silently. It was a bit nerve-racking for Robin to accompany a very rich and powerful man for dinner like this. The last time he ate with a rich and powerful man was Bruce at age fifteen, before he moved out from under his shadow and started the Teen Titans. But, he had to admit, the dinner tasted amazing, especially since it had been days since he last ate. Which reminded him: were Slade and Ishmael safe? Had they found a place to camp out for the night? Did they eat some of the food they bought before this whole fiasco? Robin hoped they were okay. Well, more so Ishmael than Slade. That bastard could take care of himself just fine for all Robin cared.

"Hey!" Robin suddenly jumped at the shout. Looking up, he saw King glaring lightly at him. "What is so important that you can't answer me? I asked you how the food was."

Robin blinked a few times at him. He suddenly coughed onto the top of a fist. "Sorry, I was thinking about my companions. But, yeah, the food was great. I was really hungry. I haven't eaten in days, after all."

King continued to glare at him, but this time in confusion. "How many days are we talking about?"

Robin scratched his left temple. "Four, give or take."

"What have you been doing those four days then?!"

Robin blinked at King's sudden outburst. He swallowed before answering. "There wasn't any game left where we traveled from. We also just barely missed a blizzard. We've been traveling on sheer willpower alone. Its not easy, I can tell you that."

They stared silently at each other for a little while. Soon, King's face softened and he stood up. "Yes, a major storm like blizzards could cause the wildlife to escape the area before it hits." Getting behind the chair, King pushed it in. "Let's go. I want to show you your training grounds before you go to bed."

"Yes sir."

King called in his servers to clean up the table as Robin finished his water after standing and then pushing the chair in. As the doors into the kitchen opened, Robin was following King back out to the foyer. Instead of going outside, they walked up the stairs to the final floor. The landing was the same as the second floor, but instead of multiple doors around the entire perimeter, there was only one, straight across from the stairs. Walking up to it, King reached in his pocket for the billiard room key. He inserted it in the single door's lock. Robin's eyes narrowed as King turned the key a few times.

"You lock _up_ your trainees?"

There was a faint click when the key finally finished turning. King quickly turned it back around to its original insertion position before pulling it out and pushing open the door. Robin was hesitant when King entered a vast room. Inhaling deep and then letting it out, Robin followed him inside. He heard the door click shut behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a guard standing beside the door. There was a second one as well, like the previous floors. King moved to the middle of the long room. Robin looked left and right, noticing the room never seemed to end. Perhaps the walls had been knocked down to allow for more room?

King turned on his heel to face Robin, who stopped suddenly to not get too close to the man. "Every day, starting at nine in the morning, my soldiers run ten laps around the perimeter of the house. After warm-ups, combat training lasts three hours. There are several professional trainers, so the faster runners don't need to wait for the slower runners to start. After combat, they practice shooting with semi-automatic rifles, machine guns, handguns, and bow and arrows for most of the rest of the day. After, they must run five more laps before dinner and sleep." King turned to the left and started walking. Robin followed, ignoring a jogger as he passed them. "As for weekends, no one is allowed to sleep except for an hour each night. My soldiers must run, practice, and exercise gradually to prevent passing out or, worst case scenario, dying. They get a three hour break for lunch and water and to use the bathroom."

As they walked, King and Robin passed soldiers using many manners of exercise equipment. King continued to explain how training worked while walking the full perimeter of the house. They were now nearing the firearm training area. A few men and women were firing rifles at paper human silhouette targets. A trainer was watching from the sidelines, a whistle hanging from his neck. When he caught a glimpse of King, he lifted the whistle to his lips and blew it. A shrill cry came from the spout. The soldiers ceased, allowing for King and Robin to continue walking without being accidentally shot. King moved to one of the three women and demanded to have her weapon.

"Yes sir!"

Coming forward, the woman handed her rifle over. King took it in his right hand, turned to Robin, and brandished it in front of him, the muzzle facing the high ceiling.

"Do me a favor and show me just how good you are with a gun." Robin stared at the dangerous and deadly weapon with disdain, his eyes solemn. Slowly, he reached for it with his right hand. King allowed him to take it. Grabbing it with both hands, Robin positioned it properly, placing his elbow over the handle to keep it steady. He turned to the targets and aimed. "Get our new recruit a target."

"Yes sir!" the trainer hollered.

While he did that, King turned to Robin. "While we wait, show me how to take it apart and put it back together again." While the paper was unrolled and attached to a clip on a self-made pulley system connected to the wall, Robin pulled the rifle apart with swift and relative ease. King was impressed when he took it apart and then back together again in less than three minutes. The target was ready when the teen positioned the rifle in his hands again. "Very good. Now, show me how good of a shot you are."

Exhaling, Robin lifted the rifle to face level, looked into the scope, and rested his finger on the trigger. After he had calmed his nerves, he pressed the trigger and held it down as several shots went off. Empty shell casings clattered around his feet as the bullets were released into the target. Within thirty seconds, the case was empty. The ringing in everyone's ears quickly died down. The trainees' eyes widened when they saw Robin's riddled-with-hundreds-of-holes target. They all resided in the face and chest area. Robin lowered the rifle like it was no big deal. King smirked.

"Well, you just exceeded my expectations. Very impressive." King took the rifle away and returned it to the woman. "Keep practicing for another hour and then all of you may take a break."

"Yes sir!" every soldier said simultaneously.

With a nod, King continued walking. "Come, Robin." The teen followed King through the rest of the continuous hall. They soon returned to the door. King gave a nod to the guards to open it. The one on the left pulled it open for them. King and Robin walked out, the door closing gently behind them. King began locking it back up again. "To answer your previous question…" King pulled the key from the lock, walked around Robin, and headed back for the staircase. Robin walked after him. "The doors remain locked so no one tries to escape. Once they join my army, there is no going back." They returned to the second floor and headed for the door into the hall that led to the billiard room. "Anyone that tries, is either imprisoned or killed." When they reached the door, King turned to Robin abruptly, making him stop in surprise. King gave him a cold stare. "Don't give me _any_ reason to _shoot_ you. Understand?"

Robin stared calmly back, but something flickered across his eyes. "Yes sir."

"Good." Turning back to the door, King unlocked it and entered. Releasing a breath, Robin walked inside, closing the door behind him. "After a good night's sleep, you will show me more of your technique."

"Yes sir." They returned to the man's bedroom. Going to his closet, King rummaged through his dresser drawers. Robin stopped close to the bed. "Where do the soldiers sleep?"

King came out of the closet with a new set of clothes. "There are sleeping quarters in the giant backyard. You will start sleeping there tomorrow night." King headed for the bathroom. "Get some sleep. You need to be up an hour earlier than the others to catch up on training."

Entering the bathroom, King closed the door and locked it, leaving Robin alone in the large bedroom. He stared at the door for a few more seconds before moving to the couch. With his hands, he tested the firmness of it. The cushioning was lumpy and hard as a rock. He glanced at the bed. Should he endure an uncomfortable surface for one night or risk sleeping in the large, soft bed that was King's? Robin growled.

"Damn…"

He may as well keep all of his clothes on for a fast getaway, if it ever came to that. Sighing, Robin went to the bed, pulled the covers and sheet back, and sat down to take his shoes off. He left his socks on and then crawled to the middle of the bed. There was no evidence that King had other, more sinister plans for him, but he wasn't going to take that chance. Lying flat out on his back, Robin stared up at the ceiling, thinking, and hoping, that Ishmael was okay…

* * *

Robin's eyes snapped open. He almost fell heavily asleep. The bedroom was dark. What time was it? Clenching his eyes shut tight and groaning softly, he rolled onto his stomach and looked around for some sort of clock. He saw nothing of the sort. Sighing, he rolled back over, staring up at the high ceiling again. He knew he should sleep to regain his strength for his escape in the morning, but he wanted to keep a very close eye on his safety. It wasn't paranoia per se, more like he was being overly cautious. Robin knew nothing of King except for his overlord ego and that he was far from saintly. Torturing a young boy—or someone who looked very young—was proof of that.

Robin's eyes began to droop again. He closed them and then turned his head to the side. Perhaps if King _was _planning something diabolical, he would've done so by now…

Something was suddenly beside him. Robin faked being asleep. After some seconds, he felt fingers run softly through his bangs while ghosting across his forehead. The only person it could be was King. Yeah, touching a person while they were "asleep" wasn't creepy at all, no! Robin didn't open his eyes. He was curious to know what King was thinking of and thinking of doing.

"What's a sweet looking boy like you fighting in this world torn war for anyhow, hmm…?" King kept running his hand through Robin's hair. It was actually making the teen sleepier. Maybe he was wrong about the overlord after all. After a few minutes, Robin rolled over in his pretend sleep, not liking the hand in his hair anymore. He expected King to leave now, but he didn't move. Robin felt him shift behind him. There was a pause, but then Robin jolted in surprise. He heard King chuckle as he had his hand resting gently on his hip. "I'm sorry, did I wake you? Or were you feigning sleep?" Robin didn't respond. "Either way, you must've heard me, right?" King leaned over Robin to speak in his ear, the breath sending a chill down his spine. "You're too soft to fight in a war like this. Maybe you should convince me to change your _position_."

Rather than roll his eyes, Robin rolled over and aimed a swift punch for King's face. Unfortunately, the man was faster, which surprised the teen. King grabbed his fist and wrenched his arm behind his back. Robin pulled and struggled to break free. When King tightened his grip, Robin stopped and glared at him over his shoulder. King smirked.

"That's precious."

"Let go of me," Robin snarled.

"Need I remind you that you are in _my _bed."

Robin growled. "I don't give a shit if it's the damn Pope's bed, let _GO_!"

King chuckled. "No." Crying out in frustration, Robin wrenched his arm up diagonally to break out of the man's grip and then tried to bolt sideways. King released him, but then quickly grabbed around his elbows with both hands. Robin managed to get halfway to his knees, but King yanked him backwards. The teen crashed into him and they were quickly rolled over. Straddling his waist, King pinned him onto his stomach and grabbed his wrists, pulling his clenched fists up to the sides of his head. Robin struggled violently to get the man off, but King overpowered him due to size and his very powerful, similar-to-Slade's, strength. "Struggling will only make it worse, kid. Lie still or I will chain you down."

Growling behind gritted teeth, Robin managed to lift his chest up only slightly to glare angrily at him. "Bastard!"

Smirking, King leaned in close to his face. "You're cute when you're angry." Robin's eyes widened in disgust when the man shoved his slick, wet tongue into his ear. His heart pounded hard in his chest. What was with all the adult men in his life nowadays? Was this some sort of curse? King pulled his tongue back into his mouth before kissing right below Robin's ear. He closed his eyes tight, growling. He stopped struggling and just endured this pervert and his sick game. When all was still, King sat up, gathered Robin's wrists in one hand above his head, and used his free hand to dig into his hair. He massaged his scalp and back of the head. "That's better."

Robin's teeth unclenched and he opened his eyes in a weak, solemn glare. Why did this have to keep happening to him? It was official: he was cursed. He was unsure if men had an attraction for him or if it was just because a man wanted to feel powerful to use him in these situations. Robin decided on the latter. Men believed they could just get away with it since he wasn't nearly as strong. Compared to King and Slade, Robin was scrawny and easy pickings for their sick pleasure. It was very painful to be used like this…

Robin buried his face in the pillow his head was on, trying to ignore the warm hand running over his back underneath his shirt. King then moved it towards his side and began pushing his shirt up. Robin flinched when he brushed his sensitive stomach to expose it. The other side of the shirt went up after a few seconds of being stuck. King shoved it up to the teen's head.

"Lift your head," he demanded.

Robin decided just to do what he said and lifted his head until his chin barely touched the bed. King slipped his shirt off and moved it along his arms. He released his wrists briefly to pull it completely off, before grabbing them again. He tossed the shirt to the floor and then worked on Robin's belt. The teen's eyes shifted back and forth a few times.

"…Could you ask me first?" he asked weakly.

Stopping suddenly, King looked up at the back of Robin's head. "Ask you what?"

It took Robin a few seconds to answer. He briefly saw a flash of a soldier unbuckling his belt, heard a gruff voice say to leave him alone, saw his face look hopeful, but then quickly change to fear before he was shoved onto his stomach. Tears formed in Robin's eyes and then fell down his face when the painful memory ended.

"Please let me consent." King's eyes widened. Robin closed his wet eyes tightly again. "I don't want to go through that again."

A heavy silence fell on them. King stared at the back of Robin's head, his eyes slightly narrowed. Eventually, his grip on his wrists lessened and he eased slightly off his waist.

"Can I have sex with you?" he asked softly.

Robin sniffed. "Y-Yes…"

King was still for a while. Sighing, he finished unbuckling Robin's belt and unzipped his jeans. "You're going to have to explain this to me in the morning, because I'm very confused."

Robin didn't say anything, he just allowed King to pull his jeans and boxers off his waist. Instead of pulling them off, he moved them down to Robin's knees. King then moved his hand to his own belt and unbuckled it. When Robin heard his zipper being pulled, he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. When the zipper was down, King pulled his jeans off his waist, starting on one side and alternating when one side got stuck. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out an already lubricated condom. He opened the package and slipped it on quickly before grabbing Robin's legs and spreading them. The teen gritted his teeth, to brace himself for when the blunt tip tried to enter him. King felt him shake lightly in between his legs. His eyes narrowed, almost in shame at what he was going to do, but he simply could not help it. He felt such a strong urge to do it for no reason. There was only one thing he could do to make it less painful.

"I'm sorry."

Tears quickly tracked down Robin's cheeks. He quickly nodded several times, signaling that he was ready. With a soft snort at himself, King grabbed the base of his penis, tilted it towards Robin's entrance, and then thrust carefully forward. Robin flinched violently as the head pierced him, as well as biting his tongue hard to prevent from screaming. When the first two inches entered him, he clenched his eyes tightly shut until he saw various shapes and colors within his mind and whimpered. After four inches were in, King released his penis, grabbed Robin's wrists gently with both hands, and thrust forward.

"GAH!"

Robin tried to hold back the cry, but it was useless. King swore under his breath, but kept thrusting in more. There was no backing out of this now. Robin would just have to endure another painful rape by another full grown man.

"Relax, stupid! Jesus!" King snapped. Robin would have elbowed him in the ribs if his arms weren't compromised. Soon, King's thrusting became steady, both in terms of speed and force. Robin was panting hot air while his body moved forward an inch. Sweat formed on his face and he was getting hot all over. King's pace quickened after a few seconds. He was grunting and growling behind gritted teeth. Once out of breath, he opened his mouth and panted. Robin gripped the bed sheets tight with his hands, his eyes closed tight as he panted and moaned. "Uhn, don't…d-do that…"

Out of instinct, Robin tugged on his arms, forgetting for a second that they were bound by the wrists. King was too far into pleasure to notice. His grip actually lessened, giving Robin enough room to slip his arms out and separate them. King's hand joined the other on Robin's hip and he yanked back on him.

"AH!"

King had lifted Robin's ass higher, which, in turn, made his back arch inward. King got his knees around the teen's legs to penetrate him even deeper. Robin's body was trembling because of the position he was in. As his back began to hurt, he placed his hands down and slowly pushed himself onto hands and knees. When his prostate was hit, he threw his head back and cried out. They both panted and moaned as pleasure filled them both. Tears threatened to spill down Robin's face again at the intense reaction he was getting from rape. He should've been fighting back, but couldn't. His mind was too numb.

"Aaaaah, K-King…"

King shuddered at the beautiful voice. Robin hated himself so much right now. A tear dripped down his cheek. King was amazed at how tight Robin was. It was just too delicious to pass up. After another minute, King leaned all the way over Robin's back, his teeth clenched tightly together. Robin was panting and moaning loudly.

Soon, King growled huskily into his ear, "I-I'm…c-coming…"

After a few more thrusts, King orgasmed deep inside of Robin, who cried out as thick semen filled him. His body had tightened upon the release. King held in his thrust until he was empty. He then sat up straight on his knees, his hands becoming lax on Robin's hips, which were slightly bruised from fingers digging into his flesh so hard. Robin dropped his head, panting. All of his traveling and sleeping on hard ground made his body hurt all over. He wanted to lay down, but King hadn't released his hips. The man regained his breath and slowly pulled out. Robin shuddered when he felt a trail of cum pull away and drip from his cheeks.

"Hold still."

Now what did King want to do to him? Hadn't he humiliated him enough for one night? Robin's eyes shot open and his butt muscles tightened. A harsh tremor traveled down his spine as he felt King's slick, wet tongue pressed to his ass crack. The man had to pull his cheeks apart with his thumbs to get to the red hole.

"S-Stop…"

Ignoring him, King began to clean him up by licking him savagely. Robin clenched his eyes shut tight, not liking the sensation. It was both slimy and bumpy and just plain disgusting. He just wanted to lay down, go back to sleep, and pretend the rape never happened. After a good minute, King licked up Robin's ass crack once more and then sat up straight on his knees again. He still had a hold of Robin's hips. The teen was shaking from the position he was in. Letting go of his right hip, King shoved Robin sideways, grabbed the base of his right leg from the outer side, and rolled him onto his back. Opening one eye a bit, Robin panted as he stared up at the overlord. King could faintly make out the dried tear tracks on his face. He was glaring down at him, not in anger, but in concentration. Robin wondered what he was thinking about or going to do next.

Blinking and then snorting, King started to turn his right hip behind him. He then started to fall quickly while moving up to Robin's side. He plopped down on his back beside the teen, scooted back with his feet, and then placed his arms behind his head, glaring up at the ceiling. The silence lasted just a little longer before King cut through it softly.

"Do you hate me, Robin?" Robin's eyes widened in surprise. King turned his head the opposite way, his eyes narrowing. "I wouldn't blame you. I must have made you relive a painful memory just now, since you felt the need to bring it up. I hope, after some sleep, you will tell me what happened to you. And you're welcome to hate me, but I hope you won't." There was a pregnant pause. Robin glanced at King out of the corner of his eye, his wide eyes back to normal. "I am sorry, and I hope you can forgive me, but I understand if you don't. All I ask is that you mull it over for a little while, before making a final decision. I will accept any answer you give me. Just remember that I am sorry and hope you will be okay." King finally closed his eyes. "I _need _you to be okay."

And that was the last thing King said that night. Brow furrowing as his eyes scrunched up, tears spilled from Robin's eyes again. He slowly closed them while rolling onto his side, his back to King. He kicked off his jeans and boxers, shoved them up to the foot of the bed, and then pulled his socks off. After he tossed them to the floor, he moved back after sitting up, grabbed the blanket and sheets, and got underneath them. Grabbing the extra pillow, Robin lifted it up and slammed it over his head in frustration as he began to cry. Within minutes, sleep consumed him, the nightmare just beginning.


	7. A New World Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2 and 4

(I'm feeling generous, so here you go! Updates will return on Wednesday starting this week)

Robin awoke groggily to a shower running in the distance. Grumbling in annoyance, he rolled over and sat up. He looked around for a clock, but there was nothing. He hoped it wasn't too early, otherwise he would be waiting a long time before he was out of here. He didn't want to see King ever again.

A few minutes later and the shower ended. Robin kept running his hand through his hair to get rid of the bedhead and tangles. He didn't particularly want to look like Hell froze over to other people. And boy was there Hell last night. Suddenly feeling naked for some reason, Robin lifted the blanket up and then paled. He scrambled around under the bed covers for his clothes, but they were gone. Gritting his teeth, Robin growled. Now what was he going to do?!

The door to the bathroom opened a few seconds later. Looking up, Robin saw King walk out, running a towel through his wet hair. He had on clean clothes, much to Robin's rapture. Stopping a few feet from the foot of the bed, King dropped the towel around his shoulders while looking up at Robin.

"Good to see you awake. I decided to let you sleep in. How are you feeling?"

Robin snorted quietly. "Exhausted, angry, and disgusted. Oh, and naked! What did you do with my clothes?"

King wiggled his pinky into his right ear. "They were dirty, so I gave them to one of my servants." He lowered his hand. "A fresh set will be coming in a few minutes. Then you and I will go up to breakfast before you start training with the other soldiers."

Robin stared in discontent at him. "I'm not hungry."

King sat on the edge of the bed sideways. "Whatever." Robin glared off to the side. An unsettling silence filled the vast room. After a few more seconds, King glanced at Robin out of the corner of his eye. The teen was scratching the back of his neck, his eyes downcast. King then sighed. "About last night-"

Robin glared at him. "How about we _not _talk about that and say we did."

"I just want to understand why it hurts you so much."

Robin gritted his teeth as anger filled him. "Because I was raped, you dumb son of a bitch! You bastards don't seem to understand that concept!"

"I know what rape is," King said defensively.

"Then why did you do it?!" King didn't answer. Robin growled at his lack of response. "You're a coward for not telling me exactly why you took advantage of me. But I certainly do. You did it because you're in a position of _power_. And powerful men like you get away with it. It makes me _sick_." King remained silent. Robin snorted. "Am I getting new clothes now or not?"

King nodded before looking away and standing. "I will see what's taking so long." King returned to the bathroom to hang up his towel and gather his dirty clothes off the floor. He returned to the room and walked off to the side where there was a closet. He tossed the clothes into a basket, grabbed socks from the dresser, and got shoes on. Staring at the bed, Robin waited impatiently with his arms folded over his chest, scowling. "…I'm sorry." Robin's head jerked up. King stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at it with narrowed eyes. "I don't know why I forced myself on you. Maybe it _is_ because of my position as the leader of this haven, I don't know. But I'm sorry for it. And I hope that the last person that raped you is sorry too." King finally looked at Robin. "As I said last night, you don't have to accept my apology and you can hate me. I deserve it." He paused as he thought about what he would say next. "…Only cowards would not admit that what they did was wrong or apologize for it." Robin's hardened eyes slowly softened. King was silent a little while longer before turning away. "I will bring you those clothes."

Robin didn't look around to watch King leave the room. After a few seconds of waiting, Robin got out of bed, used the bathroom, and then returned to the bed before King returned. He covered himself up again when the man entered, carrying folded clothes. Coming up to Robin's left side, he set the clothes next to him. Robin looked down and saw that these were different compared to what he had worn the last two times. They were still the same size though. Robin wondered where King kept getting them.

"Thanks," Robin mumbled.

King sat at the foot of the bed again, waiting. Robin pulled skin-tight boxers on under the blanket and then stood up to pull on the black jeans and plain black t-shirt. The last item was Robin's utility belt, which he fitted around his waist.

"I figured you could hold your weapons in there. My tailors imitated the design in order to make utility belts for the other fighters. Very convenient. Don't know why I didn't think of it before." Robin just shrugged, not caring in the slightest. When King saw that he was ready, he stood up. "I will take you to the training grounds."

Robin didn't move. Kind walked around him and the bed, heading for the door. Robin stared at the floor in thought. Turning around, he stared blankly at the man.

"Where's your son, King?" King stopped, his eyes wide. He didn't turn around. Robin blinked. "Where is he, King? Does he know what you've been doing? Does his father know he uses his position of power to use people for his own personal gain?" King didn't do anything. "King…"

"He's dead." Robin's expression didn't change. King's hands were curled into light fists at his sides. "My son is dead. …He was killed."

"…Killed how?"

Closing his eyes, King inhaled deep. He then turned around, saddened. "Eight months ago, when the war started getting worse, an opposing militia came to take control of this city. It was an ambush, so we didn't expect it. That's when my father started gathering able men to help fight against them. In retaliation, the militia started bombing small businesses, with people still inside. My grandparents, wife, and son had gone shopping one day for supplies. We were stupid to believe this section of the city would be safe, because no one had threatened it." King's face hardened, tears threatening to form. "They dropped a bomb right on top of the super market, destroying everything and everyone inside. I had been in the army years ago, so I went to help fight the militia. My scouting party and I were a quarter mile away from the explosion, so we went in to help. We killed the opposing soldiers that had come to finish anyone off that may have survived. Once every last one was killed or too injured to fight anymore, we scouted the area for any survivors. One of the soldiers, who was also a good friend of mine, found my wife and child dead. He tried to keep me away, but I was much stronger than him. My son was still alive, but barely. He had lost both his legs, part of his arm, and had blood all over him. My wife was just bits and pieces around him. I held my son's body in my arms as he died a slow and painful death. That's when I promised him that I would rule this city, make it a haven, and destroy anyone that threatened us. Before he drew his last breath, my son told me to give those bastards Hell. And that's exactly what I did. They bombed us, a peaceful, neutral party to the war, so we did the same to them. Now no one threatens us. Because they _fear_ us. And fear and strength is what wins wars. I swore on my son's grave that I would be there when it finally ends. That's why these men and women do what they do. To protect those that they care about from monsters like that militia. All because of my son. My beautiful baby boy, who I will never hear laugh or see again. No one will show us mercy, so they will not see it either.

"I still stand by what I said yesterday," King added. "You are too innocent to fight this war. I don't want you to share the same fate my son did. So you can train and fight alongside me, or just become mine. That is your decision to make. But, once you choose, there's no going back. So pick a side. Mine, or the war's."

Robin and King stared silently at each other from across the room for a while. Before Robin could answer, the firing rounds of an AK-47 was muffled by the walls of the room. King spun around just as his door burst open and a male soldier with short red hair rushed in, panting.

"S-Sir! We have a problem!"

King growled behind gritted teeth. "What's going on?! Who's attacking?! How many are there?!"

The soldier swallowed nervously. "It's…crazy, sir. He just showed up and started shooting everyone that tried to deter him!"

King looked confused. "He? You mean, there's just one man?"

"That's what I said! He's really fast too! He's coming closer and closer to the mansion!"

"Dammit. Send everyone that you can and take this son of a bitch down," King ordered. "I will be down to help soon."

The soldier saluted. "Yes sir!"

The soldier ran off. Growling, King turned around and took a step, but had to stop abruptly. He stared down at Robin with wide eyes. How had he come up behind him without him noticing?

"If you don't want to lose anymore comrades, tell them to back down."

King blinked in confusion. "Why-?"

Reaching into his belt, Robin pulled out a black communicator, holding it out to show King. "Because Slade can't die."

Slade? Who the hell was that?

"How do you know that?" King inquired.

"Because he's with me." King's eyes widened when he remembered yesterday in the market. A burly, six feet tall man that was stronger than King had taken Ishmael away after Robin sacrificed himself in exchange to letting Ishmael go. Robin was staring hard at King. "I've seen a bomb destroy half of his leg and then heal before my own eyes. He is smarter, faster, and stronger than anyone and he won't stop until he has me back on his side. So if you want to avoid anymore casualties or the death of your own life, then you have to let me go. But…" Robin paused, thinking twice about what he would say next. "But I'm giving you another option."

Robin stopped, waiting. King was quiet for a moment.

"What do you want me to do?"

* * *

Outside, hundreds of soldiers tried to defend their base of operations against a solitary man. As he walked by a fallen female soldier, Slade picked up the discarded AK-47 and stuck it into the backpack behind him. More soldiers rushed in, a minimum of twelve per party, firing their weapons. Another group rushed in as well, trying to shoot Slade down. Turning the fully automatic rifle around, he slammed the butt of it into a soldier's face, knocking him down and out. Simultaneously, Slade fired his rifle several times at the soldiers coming up behind him. He then spun around, tossing the rifle into an unsuspecting female soldier before kicking her in the stomach and then the chest. She flew back, throwing the rifle in the air. Slade grabbed it, turned around, and continued towards the mansion. Hundreds more soldiers came out, trying to barricade the entrance.

Slade continued to shoot, kick, punch, and disarm the new set of surrounding soldiers, never giving a single one a chance to hurt him. When his rifle was empty, he used it as a bo staff, knocking people over. When a soldier with a hunting knife charged him, Slade ducked, ramming his body into the soldier's chest and flipping him over his back. The soldier landed on his neck, breaking and killing him. Slade ran forward a few feet before roundhouse kicking another charging female soldier. She crashed into a small group, knocking them all over. Slade casually stepped over their bodies as he continued forward. He was just about to take down three more soldiers when several shots rang out into the air above soldiers' heads.

"That's enough!"

Slade stopped his advance when King emerged from the group of brave people, carrying an army bag full of weapons, pistols and guns at his waist, and toting a semi-automatic rifle in his right hand. Stopping a few feet from Slade, King stuck the tip of the rifle into the ground next to him. Slade glared at him.

"Where is Robin? I've come to take him back."

"Robin is coming," King answered.

"Do you expect me to believe you?" Slade inquired.

"He's telling the truth." Slade looked past King to see Robin come out of the crowd, carrying his own backpack on his shoulders. Stepping out from behind King, Robin approached Slade, his face blank. He stopped to the right of him. "Took you fucking long enough."

Slade snorted at him. "Ishmael kept holding me back." Slade lowered his voice as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Robin replied. "King has something to say before we go."

Robin turned around, folding his arms over his chest. King and him stared at each for a split second before King turned around slowly to see everyone as he spoke.

"I have a very important announcement to make. But before that, does anyone know where Coulson is?" Soldiers began to mutter to each other, wondering what was going on. King stopped turning. "Where is Coulson?!"

There was still no answer until—

"I'm right here sir."

Turning around, King saw a short black-haired man approach from the crowd, shouldering his AK-47. King stepped forward to meet him.

"It's good to see you after so long, my friend."

Coulson gave King a confused look, noticing a slight difference in his usual commanding tone of voice. "King, what's wrong?"

Shaking his head, King patted his shoulder before facing everyone else. "There is going to be a change of authority around here from now on." Everyone began talk amongst themselves again. King waited a few seconds before continuing. "First, let me congratulate on all of you for your hard work and sacrifice to this city. You stood up against countless enemies bravely and have done the greatest job in becoming good, smart, strong soldiers. I have full confidence in all of you that you will continue to do a great job while I'm gone."

"What?" Coulson asked exasperated.

Coulson wasn't the only one who was really confused. Even Slade gave him a strange look before looking at Robin.

"What is he talking about?"

Robin didn't answer. He kept on listening to King speak.

"That's right, you heard me loud and clear, ladies and gentlemen," King continued. "From today forward, I will no longer be in command of this city. Therefore I am passing on the torch to someone else. Someone who has been there for me since the very beginning. Someone who I consider my best friend and brother. All I ask is that you give him the same cooperation and servitude that you have served me for the last seven months. I expect you to continue working hard and being good soldiers. I still need you to help fight this war. Do I make myself clear?" No one answered, still too stunned to form words. "I said, do I make myself, _clear_?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

King waited for the rest of the stragglers to repeat the same message as their comrades. "Good. Now, your new commander in chief is one of the best soldiers I know. He has fought by my side for a long time. So, I want you to turn your attention now to…" Turning, King looked directly at Coulson's face. It was blank for a couple of seconds until a look of surprise appeared. "…Coulson."

Coulson jerked to attention. "Y-Yes?"

Smiling faintly, King placed his hand on Coulson's shoulder. "Coulson, you have been by my side every minute of every day for the first few months after the tragic destruction of my wife and son. You kept me going when I wanted to give up. That is why I, well…" King looked at the ground for a second before turning around again. "From this day forth, Alexander Coulson will be your leader! Show him the same respect you gave me! He is now in charge! If you have a problem with that, then you are welcome to leave! But he needs you, just as much as you need him! He is a good soldier, but above all else, he is a good man! He was there for all of us when our loved ones perished by the militia group eight months ago! For my last order as your leader, do exactly as he says and give him the respect he so greatly deserves! Perhaps one day, when this war is finally over, I will return and we can live happily ever after! Do you understand me?!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

After looking at everyone again, King turned back to Coulson, who was completely dumbfounded at this turn of events. King smirked softly at the look on his face.

"I know this is a huge responsibility, but I believe in you. Just as you have always believed in me." Coulson's expression remained the same. Lowering his hand from his shoulder, King stepped back, placed his right hand fingers to the right side of his forehead and held it briefly. "Make me proud, sir."

Then King saluted and waited. Coulson was speechless for the longest time. After a hard swallow, he smiled, lifted his hand to his head, and saluted back.

"Thank you, Thomas King. You be careful out there. Don't you die on me."

King nodded. "We will meet again, sir, I promise." Coulson and King shook hands before King moved around him to reach Slade and Robin. Feeling a new self-confidence fill him, Coulson turned around and addressed his soldiers. King was looking at Slade as Coulson gave a quick speech. "I and a few of my lesser soldiers are coming with you."

Slade glared at him. "Excuse me?"

King glanced at Robin out of the corner of his eye, who was listening to Coulson speak strongly and confidently. "Robin gave me two options. Either I release him quietly and the two of you and Ishmael keep going to wherever it is you're going, or I go with you. I feel like I owe him my services, so I decided to go with you. Robin allowed me to bring three or four soldiers as backup as well. He said the decision would be final. Which means, you have no say in this. I am going with you, whether you like it or not. But don't worry, I won't try to be better than you because, let's face it, I'm far from it. So I am going. Am I understood?" Slade gritted his teeth in annoyance. How dare Robin make yet another decision without discussing it with him first? When Slade remained silent, King turned back around and looked at Coulson, who was finishing his speech. "Coulson, sir?"

Coulson turned and nodded. "Yes, King?"

"With your permission, sir, may I take up to four male soldiers for my journey?"

"Permission granted," Coulson answered. He turned to the crowd. "I need four male soldiers to go with King. King will decide who goes. So, if you're interested, step forward now."

While the soldiers, Coulson, and King discussed who was leaving, Robin finally looked fully at Slade. The villain was glaring at him.

"I know you're angry that I made this deal with King, but you weren't there, therefore there was no way I could discuss it with you first. But we could use his military background. He's already packed a load of weapons, ammunition, clothing, medical supplies, and food. I also told him he had to apologize to Ishmael for torturing him. The decision is final, so you can't argue against me, so don't even try."

Slade snorted. "Fine, but don't think I won't forget about this. Whether you like it or not, I'm still your leader and there will be punishment for going behind my back sometime soon. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good." There was a pause. "Speaking of Ishmael, he's near the entrance of the property. He's waiting for us, so we need to leave now."

"Yes Slade."

After another few minutes, King had picked four burly male soldiers and given each one a backpack full of supplies to carry. Then the five of them said good-bye to Coulson and then met up with Slade and Robin.

"We're ready to go when you are," King told Slade. "My men will listen to you and me both."

"Fine," Slade said curtly. "But don't expect me to like it."

"I wouldn't think any less of you, _sir_."

Slade snorted while turning his back on them. He then started to walk away. "Let's go."

Robin followed Slade first, followed by King and the other four men. They left King's property and found Ishmael waiting patiently for their arrival. When he saw Robin, unharmed, he rushed up to him.

"_Robin, you are safe. Thank the stars."_

Robin smiled at him, patting his head. "Yes, I'm fine. There's someone here who has something to tell you."

Ishmael blinked, wondering who it could be. Robin stepped aside to reveal King. Ishmael gave him a small nod. King crouched in front of him, his arms resting on his knees.

"Hello, Ishmael. My name is Thomas King. I wanted to personally apologize for ordering my former soldiers to hurt you into helping my cause. It was very wrong of me and I am sorry. Desperate men tend to do stupid things, and I hope you can forgive me."

Ishmael was motionless for a moment before he touched King's hand. _"You are forgiven, Thomas."_

King smiled. "Thank you." He stood back up, looking at Slade. "On your command, sir."

Slade rolled his eyes before turning around and heading for the entrance to town. "We're wasting daylight. Let's go."

Robin rolled his eyes before following him. Ishmael grabbed his hand. King and the other four men followed from behind. Rather than walk through the market, the small, strange group made there way through back alleys and dark streets, to avoid as many people as possible. It took nearly ten minutes. Once outside the border, King stopped and looked back. His face was blank but he felt a pang of grief. For years he had lived in that city with his family, and now he was leaving it all behind. Although his destination was the same, it was still difficult to leave. But he had promised Robin to stay by his side until the war was over or he was killed in combat. King would continue to fight until the very end. And he _always_ kept his promises.

After a minute, King smiled warmly at his home. Turning back around, he continued to follow Slade and Robin, imagining all the possibilities of his new journey in the New World.


	8. A New World Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2 and 4

A few days had passed since King and his four followers joined Slade and Robin's traveling expedition. The weather conditions were fair, but cold. They were able to rest each night with a fire. They were close to the next town by the eighth day, where they would stop to buy some more canned food. They expected to get in and out right away, but what they didn't count on was the disturbance in town.

"Give that back, thief!"

Something streaked past a fruit stand, leaving a split-second red hue behind. The store owner chased after a red-haired young adult, who was quick and agile and light on his feet. He had a loaf of bread tucked under his arm like a football.

"Can't catch me, old man!" the redhead shouted before laughing. Glancing back, he saw that the man couldn't catch up. He smirked in triumph. "Sucker-WHOA!"

The red-haired boy fell flat on his face, the roll of bread rolling away from his outstretched arm. Growling behind gritted teeth, he pushed up with his hands and then rolled over halfway to see who had tripped him. His forest green eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Stealing from poor people isn't very nice," Robin said sternly, his eyes narrowed.

The redhead glared at him. He quickly scrambled to his feet. "I _am _poor, kid."

Robin was about to say something but Ishmael grabbed his hand. _"Robin, don't you recognize him?"_

Robin's face stayed the same for a few more seconds before his eyes widened. "Red X?!"

The redhead's eyes widened. "Hey, how do you know its me?!" Red's eyes widened even more when Slade stepped up behind Robin, his eyes narrowed. "Slade too?! What the hell-?!"

"You three know each other?"

King stepped up to the group, looking curious. Robin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, we go way back. This is Red X, by the way."

Red looked at all of them in confusion. "This is so weird. I thought you died, kid."

"Almost," Robin responded. "But Bruce made Slade promise to keep me alive and safe. I'm not happy about it, but what choice did we have?"

Stepping up to him, Ishmael grabbed Red's hand, making him jump and look down in surprise.

"What the-?"

"_Hello, Red X." _Red's eyes widened in surprise._ "My name is Ishmael. Do not be afraid. I am merely making a spiritual connection with you, so that we may communicate. Despite you being a thief, you have had a hard life and have good morals, therefore you are worthy of my powers." _Once the connection had been made, Ishmael stepped back and smiled. _"There. Now you can hear me without touching. If you are willing, I would like you to join us on our quest."_

"Quest? For what?"

"We're helping fight the war in any way we can," Robin answered for Ishmael. "Not sure how you are worthy of Ishmael's powers, but if he trusts you, then so do I." Stepping up to him, Robin held his hand out. "Would you like to join us?"

Red X stared down at the offered hand. He could see the calluses and Robin's hardened skin easily in the foggy sunlight. What sorts of horrors and events had Robin suffered through since Red saw him one final time before the war got worse? After a few seconds of hesitation, Red grabbed the hand firmly and shook it.

"I have nothing else to lose."

The handshake ended.

"Good, we could use your expertice," Slade said. He tossed a loaded backpack at Red's feet. "Everyone but Ishmael is required to carry supplies. Don't complain."

Shrugging, Red picked up the backpack, swinging it over his shoulders. His knees buckled slightly. "Jesus, what's in this? Rocks?"

"No, just a lot of weapons," King interjected. "There's some food supplies in there too." When everyone was silent, King turned to Robin. "We should pay for the bread."

"I was already planning on it," Robin said. "I will go."

Turning to the right and walking over to the loaf of bread, Robin picked it up, dusted it off with one hand, and then went back the way Red X came. Red adjusted the backpack straps to be more comfortable on his toned shoulders.

"Where have you been, anyway?" Slade asked, his arms folded over his chest.

Red looked up at him, dropping his hands. "Around. I've just been taking this war day by day alone for the last few months. I stopped wearing the Red X suit long ago. I kept the weapons. Unfortunately, I have very little Xenothium left and none exists anymore."

"Yes, we are in desperate times."

Red nodded in agreement, still slightly amazed that they had found each other. After another minute, Robin returned, the loaf of bread still in his hands. He handed it to Red X.

"The shop owner said he would accept Red's apology if we never come back. I told him that was fine. So we should go."

"Where we headed?" Red X asked, curiously.

Turning around, Robin headed for the end of town. "We stick with going east." Everyone began to follow him. "We just go where our gut takes us."

"So no set destination, huh? I'm fine with that."

"We have no other choice," Robin said grimly.

After a few minutes, they left the town and headed back into the forest. Everyone was silent for the next few hours. Red kept having to adjust his backpack on his shoulders. It was very uncomfortable, but he didn't complain. He was still trying to figure out why Robin was with Slade, of all people. It looked like they were just fine around each other, but it didn't feel that way. Red could feel an underlying anger resonate inside of Robin. What exactly had he had gone through since the Titans were destroyed?

"Question," Red said another hour later.

"What?"

"Do we fight anyone? Like, have you met any hostile soldiers during your travels? I mean, I'm a pretty decent fighter, but I haven't killed anyone before. I'm just wondering how careful we should be."

Slade glanced at him over his shoulder. "Before Robin and I met Ishmael, he and I were attacked by a small militia that wanted our equipment. We killed most of them before we had to escape due to a grave injury I acquired."

Red quickly looked him up and down but didn't see anything that looked like an injury. He glanced back up at Slade. "You look fine to me."

"Ishmael healed me. My leg had been blown up by a landmine."

Red's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, really? How'd you manage that?"

"If I tell you, I will have to kill you."

"He was being careless." Slade cast Robin a glare. He was in the lead with Ishmael beside him, holding his hand. He wasn't looking at anyone. "Now enough with the past. I'm sick and tired of hearing about it."

Being behind him, King patted Robin's shoulder in reassurance. "Let's talk about our next stop, then. It will be two weeks before we reach the next safe haven. With luck, we should have plenty of game to kill for food."

Robin shrugged. "It's someone else's turn to choose where we stop next. I picked the last place."

"_It would be wise to stop there," _Ishmael said. _"They have medical supplies there."_

Robin looked at the people that couldn't hear Ishmael's thoughts. "Ishmael says there's medical supplies at the next one. So he said to go there."

"I have some medical supplies in my belt," Red said, rooting around in the pockets. He began to pull out bandages, sterile wipes, and incisor scissors and tape. "There's not much, but it will be good enough for two patients."

"_If I could use my healing powers every time, I would, but even I have my limits."_

"Although Ishmael can heal, he is limited on their use," Robin relayed to them. "So we still need to get supplies."

"Sounds good to me," one of King's soldiers agreed.

Another two hours came and went. It started to get very dark outside, so they set up camp. Red plopped to the ground after dropping the backpack with a loud thud.

"Jesus, I hurt." Two of King's soldiers helped each other make a fire. Robin draped a blanket over Ishmael's shoulders, to help keep him warm. Once the fire was made and everyone had settled down for the night, they cooked some rabbit meat and had dinner. Red sighed in content, patting his stuffed belly. "I haven't had meat in months!"

"If you get gas or have to take a shit, don't do it around here," Slade said in annoyance. "And don't go alone. If you get captured, then you're on your own."

Red had his cheek in his hand as he leaned on it. He was looking at Slade with a sarcastic look on his face. "Boy are _you_ cheery."

"Stop it," Robin warned.

Red lifted his hands up in defense, his fingers spread. "Sorry."

Snorting, Robin rolled onto his side, resting his head on his traveler's pack. Ishmael laid against his stomach, to help keep him warm. King and his soldiers rested side-by-side, leaning against their own backpacks. Slade stoked the fire. Soon, everything was silent except for the crackling of the fire.

The next day, it was cloudy, but mostly warm. King's men were walking further away from the rest of the group, conversing with each other due to boredom. Slade was in the lead today, with Red X behind him. King stayed close to Robin and Ishmael, who brought up the rear. Not far from them, something mysterious was watching them from afar. Something thick and round moved up and down in the air a few times before the mysterious figure darted out of the safety of the trees, heading right for the traveling party.

Up ahead, Ishmael's ear twitched and he stopped, his eyes slowly widening. Realizing he had stopped, Robin stopped and looked back.

"Is everything alright, Ishmael?" Ishmael slowly looked up at Robin right as something streaked towards him. Seeing it, Robin's eyes widened and he opened his mouth. "Ishmael, run!"

Stopping up ahead, everyone turned and saw Ishmael dive out-of-the-way right as a strong-looking creature pounced. Robin barely had time to take a step back before the creature mauled him over. He crashed into the ground, the creature on top of him. Dripping fangs protruded from its mouth, growling down at Robin. Its breath was hot and tasted of dead flesh. Robin's eyes watered as it blasted him in the face. Behind them, Slade shoved past all the stunned followers, dropping his backpack to become lighter. The creature on top of Robin roared down at him, bright yellow eyes flashing. Before it could sink its fangs into his face, Slade roundhouse kicked it in the open mouth. Screeching, the creature flew through the air, crashing into the ground a few times. Rolling over, it slid back as it got on four clawed, scaly feet. Landing by Robin's head, Slade helped him sit up and they looked at the creature. It looked like a canine, except it had no fur, had scaly dark green skin, thick, sharp claws on all four feet, and a reptile-like tail whipping around with a spade on the end. It was nothing like Robin had ever seen. What even was it?

Snarling, the creature ran towards Slade and Robin, its mouth wide open. The two men quickly got to their feet and grabbed weapons from their utility belts. King and his soldiers rushed in to help. The creature attacked Robin again, clawing at him diagonally, starting from the top. Gripping his staff tight with both hands, Robin turned, slashing at the creature's head as it sailed past. His aim came true and the creature crashed to the ground. It bounced once and landed on its side. It quickly got back up and mauled over one of King's men. With a rapier, the soldier slashed at its neck, but wasn't fast enough. With a scream of terror, his face was ripped to pieces by the creature's fangs. Growling in anger, King jumped forward and slammed the butt of his rifle against its head hard. The creature dropped its head and then swiftly jumped away. Turning to face the rest, it howled in rage and rushed towards King since he was in front.

Another of King's men rushed to his side, lifted his rifle, and fired a shot. The creature easily dodged to the side, the bullet just barely missing its dark green cheek. Reaching into his belt when the creature knocked King and his soldier over, Red chucked sticky X's at the ground in front of it. The creature's massive feet landed in it and, as it kept running, tripped. Unfortunately, the sticky Xenothium snapped and the creature went rolling head over tail. Getting back to its feet, it jumped past Red's side, spinning him around and dropping him.

"Chiskot!" The ground in front of the creature suddenly blew up, forcing it to stop in surprise. Looking over his shoulder, Robin saw Ishmael standing with a glaring face at the creature. _"Leave us alone!"_

Growling, the creature darted to the side, surprising those in front of it. King and his soldier started firing at it after they turned around, but it swiftly dodged their bullets. Extending a blade from one end of his staff, Slade raised it above his head when the creature ran straight for him. He threw it down as it got closer, but it swiftly moved to his left, slamming the thickest part of its tail into his ribs. Slade was thrown right off his feet, crashing sideways into the ground and then rolling. He growled in slight pain, his staff a few feet from his hand. Ishmael continued to yell his "chiskot" command, making the ground explode. The creature easily escaped the dirt and grass. Pulling a bomb out of his butt pouch, Robin waited and then chucked it right at the creature's face. It exploded, making the creature howl in pain. The force of the blast knocked it back, crashing into the ground on its spine. It quickly got back on its feet, black blood spilling from the wounds on its face. It must have been made out of a very thick hide because the bomb only left some scratches.

Getting angry from being attacked so much, the creature tucked his head in and tightened its body. Robin's eyes widened when it got slightly bigger. Then, it vanished from sight. Robin looked around quickly, trying to find out where the creature went. Suddenly, from his right, the creature reappeared, throwing its front right leg around him. Robin fell over as the creature knocked him over by the crook of its leg and shoulder. As it grabbed him, Robin's legs snagged the ground. He almost fell out of the creature's grip, but it dug its claws into his back, drawing blood. Robin cried out in pain.

"Robin!"

Opening one eye a crack, Robin only caught a glimpse of Slade trying to chase after him before he vanished. Robin looked stunned. What had happened? Suddenly remembering about the reptile-like creature, Robin whipped a blade out of his belt and tried to stab it in the ribs. Its tail shot out, grabbed around his fingers, and tore the knife from his grip. It then threw it away, the knife lost forever. Robin then tried to punch it in the head, but the skin was too thick to cause any damage. What seemed odd was that the creature wasn't trying to eat him. It just carried Robin to wherever it was headed. Not wanting to find out where it was taking him, Robin tried to turn towards the creature's face. With a hard shove, he forced the creature off its feet, sending them rolling. There was a loud sounding crack when Robin was smashed into a thick tree. He gasped in pain. The creature snarled in annoyance. It began to stand, releasing Robin. The teen lay on the ground, too stunned and in pain from his spine to move. Turning, the creature growled lowly at his face.

"No fight."

Robin's eyes widened. This green beast could _talk_?! Before Robin could respond back, the creature hit him in the head, knocking him completely unconscious.


	9. A New World Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **See chapter 2 and 4

The sound of mucky water dripped from overhead. Down below in a dark cavern, Robin was on his side with his arms partly stretched above his head, unconscious. When the dripping kept up its pace, it started echoing in his ears. His body suddenly stiffened for a moment before relaxing. Seconds later and his eyes slowly flitted open. As he came around, his head pulsed in pain. Clenching his eyes shut tight, he growled, placing a ginger hand to a small lump on his skull. Once he realized he was in darkness, Robin carefully looked around, trying to figure out where he was. What had happened before he was knocked out? He tried to remember, but the details were fuzzy. All Robin knew was that he wasn't with the others. He was completely alone.

Somewhere off to the right, Robin heard something, big and heavy, stomp and slither towards him. Rolling over quickly, he scrambled away, seeing a bulky figure coming towards him. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw a reptile-like creature with dark green, scaly skin, a thick tail with a spade on the end, sharp claws on massive feet, and the head of a lizard. Fangs poked out from its lips, like a crocodile's. It growled lowly at Robin when it saw that he was up. The last few hours suddenly came back to Robin as he recognized the creature.

"What are you? What do you want? Why did you take me away from my companions?"

Robin didn't know why he was even asking this monster this since he wasn't really expecting an answer. His eyes widened when the creature stopped a few feet away and spoke to him with a slithering voice.

"Monster. Need blood. Yours."

Robin swallowed, not liking the sound of that. "Why do you need my blood?"

The creature lowered its head, sniffing the ground. "Need saving."

Robin flinched when the creature began to circle him, sniffing him and the ground. "To save you from what?"

Robin jerked to the right when the creature touched his side with its cold, wet nose, which was just two slits. The creature then looked up at him. "From curse."

Robin frowned, his brow furrowing. "What curse?"

Robin startled when the creature shoved him over and landed on top of him suddenly, sniffing his face. The creature stared at him in silence for a moment.

"My curse. Monster curse."

"O-Oh…" Tensing up, Robin tried to move his face away from a pink forked tongue that came out of the creature's mouth. It licked his cheek, making him shudder. "What happens if you drink my blood?"

Forcing out a hard breath, the creature stepped backwards off Robin's chest. He carefully sat up to look at it. "Curse break? Not sure."

Well that was just lovely. Robin stared somberly at the creature with narrowed eyes. "Look, I'd like to help you, but I need my blood to stay alive. You would probably have to drink all of my blood to break your curse."

The creature sat down like a dog, its stomach pressing against the rock ground as it breathed. "Drink some every day. Stay alive. Break curse."

Robin exhaled hard from his nose. He had to get out of there and return to King, Ishmael, and the others. He couldn't stay with this cursed monster for too long. They had to keep going.

"You need to take me back to my companions. They have food. I need that to survive."

The creature shook its scaly head. "Me hunt. Feed you and me."

Finally getting agitated, Robin glared at it. "Take me back to my companions _now_!"

Suddenly getting back on its feet, the creature snarled at him, its eyes flashing. Robin fell back in fright. "No! Stay here! Break curse!"

Feeling brave, Robin quickly got to his feet and then whipped out a knife. The creature growled at him. "How about I kill you instead?"

"YOU NO THREATEN ME!" Robin screamed softly in surprise when the creature pounced on him, forcing the knife from his hand that had slackened. His back slammed into a smooth, protruding rock. Robin cried out in pain. The creature roared in his face. When Robin didn't try to fight back, the creature slowly relaxed, but it stayed alert. It growled low at him again. "Help me. Break curse. Need you. Need blood. Please."

Staring up at it, Robin looked straight into the creature's yellow eyes, watching them swim. After a few seconds, something seemed to change in them. Robin's eyes slowly widened before they flickered. He stared at the creature in surprise, wondering how this could be.

"Were you…" Robin swallowed. "Are you really a human?"

The creature looked angry for a moment longer before its face softened. Its eyes began to swim again. "Curse." Robin blinked. After staring at him a little while longer, the creature turned and stepped off of him. It started to walk away. "Hunt. Stay."

Robin watched the creature vanish into the darkness. When all he heard was the dripping water, he slowly sat up, feeling a pain in his back around his spine. He carefully placed a hand to it, feeling his vertebrae sticking out slightly from his skin. It ached to touch, so he dropped his hand. He then tried to stand, but his knees were weak. Using the rocks for support, Robin got to his feet and tried a step, but his back pulsed in pain. Well, so much for escaping this cavern now. Sighing, Robin carefully sat back down, resting against a smooth rock, being carefully not to put pressure on his wounds. He then looked around, trying to figure out what he was held up in.

It looked like a cave deep underground. Water dripped off a stalactite in the distance. There was a faint whiff of fresh air, so Robin was probably close to the cave mouth. It was very dark though, so he was probably too far away for anyone to hear him if he yelled for help. Sighing, Robin closed his eyes and rested, waiting for the cursed creature to return.

* * *

"Robin!"

It was nearing sundown. Several miles away, Slade, King, Red X, Ishmael, and the remaining three soldiers were in search of Robin and the creature. Ishmael had told Red X that he could faintly feel Robin's aura, which he had told everyone an hour ago. So far, they had no luck of finding a physical trace of him.

"Robin, if you can hear me, call back!" King shouted, his hands around his mouth. There was no response. "Robin!"

"This is no use," Red X said with a heavy sigh. "Birdbrain is long gone."

"We can't give up just yet," Slade said. "I promised Bruce to keep him safe. So I'm going to get him back."

Red gave him a quizzical look. "Bruce? As in, Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes."

Red chuckled. "You're joking, right? Why the hell would Bruce Wayne care about a-" Red stopped, putting two and two together. Lifting his arms, he shook his hands in disbelief. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Shut the front door! Do you mean to tell me that _Robin _is _the _Richard Grayson?!"

Slade looked at him over his shoulder. "That's right."

Red's eyes widened. "So then that means Bruce Wayne is Batman!"

"Very good, X!" Slade mocked. "Would you like a cookie?"

Getting excited, Red jumped forward to stand right next to Slade. "Yeah!" Slade smacked him upside the head. "OW!"

"Idiot!"

Red skulked back, pouting as he rubbed his sore head. King reached him, placing a hand on the thief's shoulder.

"The next time we can, I will buy you a cookie."

Red grinned at him. "Haha, thanks. King, was it?" The group continued to travel through the forest, even after it was pitch black. Slade kept up the lead. Soon, he stopped, turned, and told everyone that they would stop searching for the night. They got set up, but didn't bother with a fire. "Do we think Robin's safe?"

"He had better," Slade grumbled. "If I find out that monster killed and ate him, I will kill it."

Miles away, Robin sneezed really hard. "Ugh, gross…" Robin's stomach growled and his mouth was dry. He needed something to drink and eat, fast. Reaching into his belt, he pulled out a piece of cloth and blew his nose into it. He sniffed while folding it and putting it back away. Sighing, he closed his eyes again. "I hope that thing comes back soon…"

Robin didn't know how much time had passed before he heard a loud thud a few feet away. Opening bleary eyes, he looked over and saw the creature back. It had dropped a baby fawn in front of its massive feet. With its claws, it began to shred into its stomach. Robin watched it work for a while. When a good chunk of meat was off, the creature picked it up in its mouth and carried it over to Robin. The teen scrunched his nose at it because of the dead animal smell. The creature dropped it to his left and then looked up at him.

"Food. Eat."

"Um…" Turning around, the creature returned to its kill and began to lunge into its side. Robin slowly looked down at the raw, bloody meat. He swallowed. "I…can't eat this." Lifting its head and turning it in Robin's direction, blood, guts, and hair was hanging from the creature's mouth as it chewed. If Robin had food in his stomach, he would be throwing up. Thinking on this for a moment, the creature turned around and approached him. Robin tried to back away, but the creature took long strides and was at his side in a flash. Bits of body fluids dripped as the creature tried to give it to Robin. The teen jerked away so that he wouldn't get guts on him. "I can't eat raw food! Get it away from me!"

Growling low in its throat, the scaly creature turned away and walked off. It quickly pulled the hanging body parts into its mouth as it chewed and gnawed. Robin swallowed and then went "blech" as it grossed him out. When the creature swallowed a final time, it licked its mouth and then turned back to Robin.

"No eat?"

Robin sighed in irritation. "I already told you, I can't eat raw food. I have to cook it first. So I need to make a fire."

The creature instantly hissed and backed away. Robin sweat dropped. "No fire! Fire bad! Bad, bad, bad!"

Robin lifted his hands up in front of him. "Okay, okay! No fire! I'll just starve then!" The creature looked down at the ground in shame. Robin eyed it strangely. "If you were human once, wouldn't you know that raw meat could kill me?" The creature glanced at him out of the corner of its eye. It shook its head before looking away. "Well, it does. So I either starve or you let me make a fire to cook with. Up to you."

The creature was unmoving for a while. Turning away, it returned to the fawn and continued to eat. Sighing, Robin moved to a different spot away from the bloody meat and tried to go to sleep. The smacking and gnashing sounds from the creature made it hard to do so.

"…Sleep?"

Looking over, Robin saw the creature staring at him. "Yeah. Not sure if I can with this pain in my back though."

The creature tilted its head slightly. "Hurt you?"

Robin sighed. Lifting his hand, he held his pointer and thumb finger a few centimeters away from each other. "Just a little." He lowered his hand back down. "Some is from your claws and the rest are from hitting the tree and rocks on the way here. Luckily you didn't shatter my spine."

The creature stared at him for another second before looking away. "Sorry…"

Shaking his head, Robin said, "It's fine. It was an accident." The weird duo was quiet for a while. Robin laid back down and tried to go to sleep. "Good night."

The creature stared at him with its yellow eyes faintly glowing in the pitch darkness. "Sleep." Robin assumed that meant "good night" to the creature. He was half asleep when he heard the creature speak again. "Name?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw the creature laying down fifteen feet away, staring at him. "I'm Robin."

The creature's eyes lit up slightly. "Robin."

A small smile formed on Robin's face. "Yeah."

Looking away and then lowering its head to its front legs, the creature closed its eyes. "Sleep…"

Snorting softly behind his weak smile, Robin turned his head away and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Robin woke up sluggishly. Groaning and grumbling at the pain in his back, he sat up, but stopped abruptly. He slowly looked over to his left, his eyes widening.

"AHHHHHH!" Robin fell over sideways in his panic. He ignored the pain in his back as he tried to get as far away from the strange creature laying next to him as he could. Lifting its scaly green head, the lizard-monster looked at him blankly. At the opposite wall, Robin was panting from fright and cowering back. It took him a moment to remember last night and to relax. He released a final breath and then sighed. "I didn't mean to scream. You just took me by surprise is all." The creature was still another second before it opened its mouth and yawned wide and loud. It then closed its mouth before standing up and shaking itself. "Why were you next to me anyway? You were over there last night."

The creature looked at him. "Cold. Keep warm."

Robin blinked in confusion. "You were cold or I was?"

"You. Shiver last night. Keep warm."

"Oh. Well, thank you, I guess," Robin said sheepishly. There was a pause as the creature started to roll around on the rocks, scratching itself. "So…do you still need my blood to break your curse?"

Rolling back on its massive feet, the creature nodded. "Yes."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Robin asked. "Should I just cut myself or…?"

Shaking its head, the creature walked over to him, staring at his face. "Bite. Suck blood. Drink."

Robin eyed the creature's dripping with saliva fangs, not liking that idea at all. "I think I should cut my arm and then you lick it. Your fangs might hurt me worse than a cut."

"No. Bite. Only way." Closing his eyes, Robin sighed. "…Be careful. No hurt again. Try."

Exhaling out of his nose, Robin grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off. The creature watched him silently. Wadding the shirt up and putting it in his belt, Robin held his left arm out to the creature and braced himself.

"Okay, just don't break it or anything." Turning his head away, Robin closed his eyes tight. The creature stared at him in shame before gently grabbing his forearm into its mouth. Robin shuddered as the slimy saliva covered him. He then flinched violently when the fangs pierced him. "HNNG! God! Fuck!"

The creature whined against his bleeding arm, but began to suck out his blood. Robin growled behind gritted teeth, trying to prevent himself from trying to yank his arm free, which would surely result in the fangs tearing into his flesh. But god did it really fucking hurt! For almost a minute, the creature sucked and licked up Robin's blood, swallowing every three seconds. Robin wished he knew how much blood he was losing in just that one minute.

"Y-You have to…s-stop!"

The creature swallowed one more time. Then, it slowly and carefully pulled its jaws apart and freed Robin's arm. The teen pulled it to his bare chest, placing his hand around the bite wounds. They stung, the pain traveling all the way to his shoulder and neck. The creature stepped away, licking its bloody mouth and swallowing again. It whined when Robin growled in pain.

"Sorry. Wish other way. Sorry. Very sorry." Robin glanced at the creature out of the corner of his strained eye, listening to it apologize over and over again. He then looked at the wound on his arm, noticing the holes that the fangs created. Saliva covered his skin, keeping his blood back inside his veins. Pain pulsed all the way through his arm, making him close his eyes tight again as he tried holding back a scream. "Blood. Sorry. Hurt you. Sorry. Sor-"

"Stop SAYING _THAT_!" The creature jumped away in fright at Robin's yell. It whined at him and apologized again. Panting, Robin leaned back against the wall, trying to ignore the pain. The cavern got quiet. After a few minutes, Robin had his arm on his lap, staring up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. The creature was walking around the cavern, rubbing its head on rocks every few minutes. Robin soon turned his head to look at it. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"Understand."

Robin sat up, still cradling his arm on his lap. "So, you need blood to break your curse. But does it _have_ to be mine?" The creature looked at him from across the cave. "It can't be animals' blood?"

"Witch curse. Specific blood. Will know. You."

Robin blinked a few times, trying to understand all of this. "So you know that only I can break the curse because…of how my blood tastes?"

The creature nodded, stopped, and then shook its head, changing its mind. "Scent. Yours. Then blood. Now know."

"And you're one hundred percent sure that it's my blood you need?"

"Yes. Now know."

Sighing, Robin leaned his head against the wall. "Wonderful. Not only do I have to deal with rapists, but now I'm a sacrifice for a monster to return to a human. Can my life get anymore pathetic?"

The monster blinked big, wet eyes. "Break curse. Not kill. Live."

Robin's stomach growled. He sighed. "I really need to eat…"

The creature tilted its head. "Need…fire?" Robin looked at it, nodding. Whimpering deeply, the creature slowly nodded. "Understand. Get fire."

Robin slowly smiled. "Thank you."

Turning around, the creature walked off into the darkness. Robin waited for it to be out of sight before pulling things out of his belt with his right hand. Luckily he had taken some bandages from Red X before this whole fiasco. He wrapped his arm securely. He also had matches, so he wouldn't have to try and use both hands to make friction with two sticks for a fire. Half an hour later and the monster returned, carrying logs in its large mouth. It dropped them by Robin's right side. After thanking it, Robin set up the logs in a teepee shape, tied them together with a bit of bandages, and then grabbed the box of matches. The creature eyed it warily, staying as far back as it could. Robin looked at it as he held the matchstick to the sandpaper.

"You should probably go outside. That way the sound won't startle you." The creature thought on that for a second before turning around and walking away. Letting out a breath, Robin looked at the logs and quickly raked the tip of the match across the grater. It flickered into a flame. Robin set it on top of the logs and then blew hard on it. Sparks hit the logs, but didn't light. So Robin tried blowing on it again and then added more bandages. They caught fire and spread to the logs. He blew on the embers and was finally able to get a fire going. Robin then looked to the entrance of the cave. "Hey! Can you bring me dried leaves?!" After a few seconds of waiting, Robin heard feet padding away. A few minutes passed before the creature returned, carrying leaves. "If you don't want to get too close, set them down over there and I'll get them!"

The creature came up, stopping about fifteen feet from the fire and Robin. It dropped the leaves. Smiling, Robin carefully got up and walked slowly towards the creature. It shrank back, staying alert. Robin grabbed the leaves and then carried them back to the fire. He dropped a few onto the flames before sitting back down. The creature was glaring lightly at the fire, but didn't say anything. Robin was actually enjoying the peace and quiet. Minutes passed before Robin looked at it again.

"Was there any deer left?" Blinking, the creature turned and walked over to a floor stalactite. Lowering its head, it picked up the fawn carcass and brought it closer. It then tossed it across the room. It landed with a thud and splat close by Robin. He grabbed the leg that was sticking in his direction and dragged the carcass over to him. He pulled another knife from his belt. The creature growled at him, but stayed where it was. Glancing at it, Robin chuckled. "Don't worry. I only threatened you last night because I was scared. I guess I should apologize for that. So, I'm sorry."

The creature just snorted out of its nose. Chuckling again, Robin looked back at the fawn and started cutting meat off the bones. The cave was silent except for the crackling of the fire again as Robin cooked the meat right on the flames. The wonderful scent of burning wood filled his nostrils, making him even hungrier.

"Fire bad."

Looking up, Robin snorted. "Only if its used the wrong way. I'm using it the right way. It will only hurt if you touch it."

"Fire bad!" Robin just shook his head. After half an hour, he was finally able to eat. He ate greedily, feeling completely famished. Soon, his energy returned. He then saved the rest for later. Leaning forward, Robin held his hands over the flames, getting them warm. The heat touched his wounded arm, making him hiss in pain. "Fire bad!" the creature said, almost gleefully.

Robin glared at it for a split second before laying back and closing his eyes. He fell back to sleep due to loss of energy because of his arm. When he woke up again, the fire was almost out and the logs were very black. Looking to his right, Robin saw the creature chewing on a bone.

"When should you drink my blood again?"

Stopping with one end of the bone sticking out of its mouth, the creature looked at him. It then swallowed the bone whole before getting up and moving close enough to the fire without feeling its heat too strongly.

"Night. Before sleep. Good for you."

"Good." They became silent again. "So…how long have you been cursed?"

"Long. Don't remember."

"So you've probably been here for a long time," Robin guessed. "Have you met other humans before me?"

The creature thought back. It soon nodded. "Scared. Ran away. No chase. Good monster."

Robin couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you're a good monster. But let me call you something else. Do you have a name?" The creature shook its head. "Well, let's see. You look like a crocodile or an oversized lizard. Your body shape is kinda like a chimera. The spade on your tail is close enough to a snake, I suppose." Robin paused, thinking. "Yeah, let's go with that." He looked at the creature. "I will call you Chimera. Does that sound good?"

The creature didn't answer right away. It soon nodded. "Chimera."

Robin chuckled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Chimera. Once your curse breaks, you can tell me your human name, if you remember. After we explain to my companions what happened, you could join our party. Would you like that?" Chimera nodded enthusiastically. "Haha, good. Hopefully a few days of drinking my blood will break your curse so I'm not missing for too long."

"Yes. Break curse!"

Robin chuckled. Chimera looked like a large baby dinosaur as it wagged its tail. "Soon, Chimera, soon."

Calming down, Chimera laid back down. Around midnight that night—or that was Robin's guess—Chimera drank more of his blood from his left arm again. It was painful still, but Robin endured it. He then rebandaged his arm before falling asleep. The next day around noon, Robin was pacing from boredom. He had a good breakfast that morning. Chimera was gone. He had told Robin in his choppy speech that he would be back with more food. So Robin waited, holding his arm to his chest. The fang wounds had bruised and swollen, but there wasn't any sign of infection. At least Robin didn't have to worry about that.

"Yuck." Robin swallowed as hard as he could, his mouth completely dry and tasting gross. "I need water."

Deciding to search the cave for a spring water pool, Robin walked further in. He walked for a good twenty minutes. The cave went in really far. How far, Robin didn't know. Something suddenly occurred to him. Maybe there was two entrances to this cavern! Grinning, Robin walked a little faster, hoping his theory was correct. After another few minutes, he stopped to take a breather. His hurt arm was really slowing him down. He was panting and sweating. He hoped he wasn't getting a fever. That would make this all the worse.

Robin was about to give up and go back when something glinted up ahead. Eyes widening, Robin walked faster again. Was that sunlight? The light was slowly getting bigger and brighter. Yes, it was the sun! It just had to be!

"Oh sweet freedom!" Robin soon reached a dead end with a hole just big enough for him to crawl through. The light was shining through, making him even more hopeful. Crouching, Robin ducked under, placing his right hand on the edge above his head. As he stood up straight, he took a few more steps, but stopped, his mouth slowly falling partly open at what he was seeing. "Whoa…"

There were twinkling, pretty, different colored stones stuck in the cavern walls. Robin turned around in a three-sixty as he looked all around and above him. There was a goldmine of jewels here! Rushing to a wall, he took out his knife and carved a piece of colored rock out. He examined it carefully. Were these gems, jewels, and stones worth something? Were they even real gems at all? Robin tapped the stone with the tip of his knife, hearing it clink. It didn't crack or break, so that was a good sign. Amazed that he had even found this smorgasbord, he started taking pieces and chunks out of the wall with his knife and putting them in his belt and pockets.

Unaware to Robin, something was moving along the walls towards him. He was so excited at the thought of being rich again that he didn't notice anything until it was too late. Something large then pounced silently at his back.

Robin jumped several feet in the air when he heard a loud smashing sound behind him and to the left. Whipping around and dropping some stones in his surprise, he saw Chimera pinning a cougar to the ground. With a yowl, the cougar smashed its thick paw into Chimera's face. The lizard-monster fell sideways, snarling as blood was drawn. It regained its balance but was knocked over by the cougar. Robin rushed around them when they got too close.

"Be careful Chimera!"

The cougar snapped at Chimera's face. Chimera opened its mouth just in time to lock jaws with him. They growled and snarled at each other as they rolled around on the ground. Looking around, Robin found a good size rock that was partway falling off the wall. Rushing to it, he grabbed it with both hands and yanked it free. His left arm pulled, sending shearing pain through him. His muscles froze up and he almost dropped the rock on his toes. Getting a better grip, Robin turned around, shakily lifted the rock above his head, and aimed it at Chimera and the cougar. When the cougar shoved Chimera into a wall, Robin chucked the rock at the back of his head. It made contact, knocking the cougar over wildly. He howled in surprise, writhing on his back. Chimera got back up and jumped on him while he was down. Opening its mouth wide, Chimera chomped down on the cougar's right ribs.

"RAAAWR!"

The cougar actually had a look of surprise on his face as Chimera jerked its head violently around. Robin stayed pressed hard to the wall, holding his arm taut against his stomach. Blood was dripping from his fingers and down his stomach. He suddenly became violently ill when Chimera flung its head up, tearing the cougar's ribs right out of his body. With the horrendous violence and pain in his arm heavily on his mind, Robin collapsed into unconsciousness.


End file.
